Adrian
Adrian is a unisex name of Latin origin meaning “from Hadria, dark one.” It ranked #57 in the United States in 2025. Derived from the Roman family name Hadrianus, referring to the city of Hadria in northern Italy.
how do you pronounce Adrian?
AY-dree-un
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Adrian mean?
The name Adrian means “from Hadria, dark one.” It comes from the Latin language tradition.
Derived from the Roman family name Hadrianus, referring to the city of Hadria in northern Italy. The name was borne by several Roman emperors and six popes, including Pope Adrian IV, the only English pope.
where does the name Adrian come from?
From the Latin Hadrianus, meaning of Hadria — a town in northern Italy that also gave its name to the Adriatic Sea. The initial H was lost in most modern languages, and the sense of dark one sometimes attached to the name comes from a secondary association with Latin ater, meaning black.
the history of Adrian
The Emperor Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138, is remembered in Britain for the wall that still crosses the country from the Tyne to the Solway. Six popes have taken the name; Adrian IV, born Nicholas Breakspear, remains the only English pope. The name has been in continuous English use since the Middle Ages without ever becoming commonplace.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #57 |
| 2023 | #56 |
| 2022 | #53 |
| 2021 | #54 |
| 2020 | #55 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Adrian?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Adrian?
- Adrian Brody (actor)
- Adrian Tchaikovsky (author)
- Hadrian (Roman Emperor)
what names are similar to Adrian?
what names go well with Adrian?
Sibling names that share Adrian's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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