Find out how popular the last name Adrian is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Adrian.

Adrian, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Adrian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Adrian in America

Adrian is the 6201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Adrian surname appeared 5,514 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Adrian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Adrian to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Adrian

The surname Adrian originates from the ancient Roman family name Hadrianus, which derived from the name of the Roman emperor Hadrian. This name comes from the Latin name Hadrianus, itself originating from the name of the town Adria, formerly Hatria, which was located in the Veneto region of northern Italy.

The earliest known records of the name Adrian as a surname date back to the 12th century in England, where it was likely introduced by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Adrianus and Hadrianus.

In the 13th century, the name Adrian appeared in various English records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as Adriane and Adrien. During this time, the name was also found in Scotland, where it was recorded as Adriane in the Ragman Rolls of 1296.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Adrian was John Adrian, a 14th-century English philosopher and theologian who lived from around 1290 to 1349. He was a prominent scholar at the University of Oxford and authored several works on logic and philosophy.

Another early bearer of the name was Adrianus Carthusius, a 15th-century Dutch theologian and writer who lived from around 1423 to 1476. He was known for his works on Christian spirituality and his contributions to the Carthusian Order.

In the 16th century, the surname Adrian was found in various parts of Europe, including Germany, where it was recorded as Adriani and Adriaen. One notable figure from this period was Adriaen Adriaenszoon, a Dutch navigator and explorer who lived from around 1490 to 1558. He is known for his voyages to the Arctic regions and his exploration of the northern coasts of Russia.

In the 17th century, the name Adrian was also present in France, where it was spelled as Adrien. One notable Frenchman with this surname was Adrien Baillet, a scholar and writer who lived from 1649 to 1706. He is known for his biographies of famous individuals and his contributions to the field of hagiography.

Another prominent figure with the surname Adrian was Adrianus Valesius, a 17th-century Dutch scholar and philologist who lived from 1607 to 1692. He is renowned for his critical editions of ancient Greek and Latin texts, as well as his contributions to the study of ancient history and geography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Adrian

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Adrian.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Adrian was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Adrian has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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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