Find out how popular the first name Adrian has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Adrian by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Adrian is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 95% of people named Adrian being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 4,646 male babies and 70 female babies born with the name Adrian.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 70 baby girls were named Adrian in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Adrian

The name Adrian has its origins in the ancient Roman world. It is derived from the Latin name Hadrianus, which itself came from the Roman family name Hadrius. This name is believed to have originated in the town of Adria, located in what is now northern Italy. The name Adria may stem from the Venetic word for sea or water.

Adrian was the name of several notable figures in Roman history. The most famous was the Roman emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus, better known as Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138 AD. Hadrian was known for building Hadrian's Wall in Britain and for his widespread travels throughout the Roman Empire.

The name Adrian also appears in early Christian writings. One of the earliest recorded instances is Saint Adrian of Nicomedia, a Roman officer who was martyred for his Christian faith around 306 AD during the persecution of Christians by the emperor Diocletian.

During the Middle Ages, the name Adrian was used throughout Europe, particularly in Italy, Spain, and England. One notable bearer was Adrian IV, the only English pope, who reigned from 1154 to 1159. Another was Adrian of Utrecht, a 9th-century theologian and scholar who wrote extensively on the liberal arts.

In the Renaissance period, the name Adrian was popular among artists and scholars. The Dutch humanist and philosopher Desiderius Erasmus was baptized as Gerard Geerts but took the name Erasmus after the Greek word for beloved, and Adrian as a second name.

Other notable Adrians throughout history include Adrian Willaert, a 16th-century Flemish composer who worked in Venice and was a key figure in the development of the Venetian School of composers. Adrian Leverkühn was the central character in Thomas Mann's novel Doctor Faustus, loosely based on the life of the composer Adrian Leverkuhn.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Adrian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Adrian, please contact us.

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