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The first name Adrian

A boy’s name from Latin meaning “from the roman harbor hadria”.

Pronounced /ˈeɪ.dɹiː.ən/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname

Meaning and origin

Latin origin

Adrian means “from the roman harbor hadria” in Latin.

From Latin Hadrianus (“from the Roman harbor Hadria”) a place name ultimately from Etruscan 𐌇𐌀𐌕𐌓𐌉𐌀 (hatria). Doublet of Hadrian. See Adria.

From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Popularity

Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

In 2025, 161 boys were named Adrian, making it the 279th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2013, with 273 births (#203).

0150300 1996200020052010201520202025
5,538
babies named Adrian, 1996–2025
#279
rank in 2025
2013
peak year

Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Adrian with other names.

Popularity in the United States

Babies named Adrian at birth, 1880–2025

In 2025, 4,464 boys born in the United States were named Adrian, the 74th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2008, when 7,938 were.

04,0008,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
GirlsBoys
287,982
babies named Adrian since 1880
#74
rank in 2025
2008
peak year

US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

Adrian in other languages

Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

Ադրիանոս
Adrianos
Armenian
Адриа́н
Adrián
Bulgarian, also Андриа́н
Adrià
Catalan
阿德里安
Ādélǐ'ān
Chinese, also 安德林
Adriaan
Dutch
Ari
Finnish
Adrien
French
Αδριανός
Adrianós
Greek
אדריאן
Hebrew
Adorján
Hungarian
Adriano
Italian
Adrianus
Latin, also Hadrianus
Adrians
Latvian
Adrianas
Lithuanian, also Adriana
Adriano
Portuguese, also Adrião
Адриа́н
Adrián
Russian, also Андриа́н
Adriano
Spanish, also Adrián
Адріа́н
Adrián
Ukrainian, also Андріа́н
Ađrianô
Vietnamese, also Hađrianô

Spelled Adrian in Danish, German, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian and Swedish too.

Nicknames and spellings

Other spellings and forms

Famous people named Adrian

144 on Wikidata, most written-about first

  • Adrian Smith
    English guitarist, born 1957
  • Adrian Năstase
    59th Prime Minister of Romania (2000-2004)
  • Adrian Newey
    British Formula One engineer, born 1958
  • Adrian Willaert
    Franco-Flemish composer and founder of the Venetian School (1480–1562)
  • Adrian Grenier
    American actor, director, producer, musician, born 1976
  • Adrian Pasdar
    American actor and director, born 1965
  • Adrian Lamo
    American hacker and threat analyst (1981–2018)
  • Adrian Lyne
    British film director, born 1941
  • Adrian Belew
    American rock musician, born 1949
  • Adrian Lulgjuraj
    Albanian singer, born 1980
  • Adrian Quist
    Australian tennis player (1913–1991)
  • Adrian Boult
    British conductor (1889–1983)

More Latin boys’ names

Questions

What does the name Adrian mean?
Adrian means “from the roman harbor hadria” in Latin.
What is the origin of the name Adrian?
From Latin Hadrianus (“from the Roman harbor Hadria”) a place name ultimately from Etruscan 𐌇𐌀𐌕𐌓𐌉𐌀 (hatria). Doublet of Hadrian. See Adria.
How popular is the name Adrian?
In 2025, 161 boys born in England and Wales were named Adrian, ranking 279th. Its peak was 2013, with 273 births.
Is Adrian a boy's or a girl's name?
Mostly a boy's name: 95% of the 287,982 US babies named Adrian since 1880 were boys.
When was Adrian most popular?
2008 in the United States, when 7,938 babies were named Adrian, its highest rank at 56th.
How do you pronounce Adrian?
Adrian is /ˈeɪ.dɹiː.ən/, 3 syllables.
What are other spellings of Adrian?
Hadrian and Adria.
Is Adrian also a surname?
Yes. Adrian is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.