Adrian
Meaning of Adrian
Adrian comes from the Latin name Hadrianus, which standard name dictionaries usually explain as meaning from Hadria, an ancient town in northern Italy near the Adriatic Sea. The deeper meaning of Hadria itself is uncertain, so Adrian is best understood as a Roman place-derived family name rather than one with a settled literal meaning.
English speakers pronounce it AY-dree-uhn; Spanish speakers say ah-DREE-an, with the stress on the second syllable.
The Roman emperor Hadrian is the best-known historical bearer of the name’s Latin original. Among modern namesakes, Adrian Peterson is one of the most celebrated running backs in American football, and actor Adrian Grenier is known for playing Vincent Chase on Entourage.
In the United States, Adrian ranked 74th in 2025, when it was given to 4,464 babies. It reached the top 100 in 1985 at 93rd, peaked at 56th in 2008, and in 1970 had ranked 200th, so the name climbed strongly through the late twentieth century before easing in recent years.
Pronunciation
Spanish
- Pronunced as ah-DREE-an (/aˈðrjan/)
English
- Pronunced as AY-dree-uhn (/ˈeɪdriən/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Adrian
| Adrian Peterson is an American running back, widely considered one of the greatest, who set a freshman rushing record at Oklahoma in 2004 and went on to play 15 NFL seasons. |
| Adrian Lemar Wilson is an American former NFL safety from NC State, drafted by the Cardinals in 2001, who also played for the Patriots and Bears. |
| Adrian Lamo was an American threat analyst and hacker known for breaching networks at the New York Times, Yahoo, and Microsoft, leading to his 2003 arrest. |
| Adrian Joseph Mariappa is an English-born professional defender and Jamaica international now serving as assistant coach for Watford under 21s. |
| Adrian Grenier is an American actor best known for playing Vincent Chase on Entourage, with roles in Drive Me Crazy, The Devil Wears Prada, and the Netflix series Clickbait. |
| Adrian Willaert was a Flemish High Renaissance composer who worked in Italy, founded the Venetian School, and helped bring the polyphonic Franco Flemish style to Italian music. |
| Adrian Paul Hewett is an English actor, martial artist, and director best known as Duncan MacLeod on Highlander The Series, and he founded the Peace Fund in 1997. |
| Adrian Wojnarowski, known as Woj, is an American basketball executive and former NBA insider who pioneered Twitter era breaking news and now serves as general manager of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball team. |
| Adrian Martinez is an American actor and comedian best known for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Focus. |
| Saint Adrian of Nicomedia, a Roman guard martyred after converting to Christianity, became a leading military saint in Northern Europe, second only to Saint George. |
| Adrian Newman is a British Anglican bishop who served as Dean of Rochester and then Bishop of Stepney from 2004 to 2018 and after early retirement for ill health now serves as an honorary assistant bishop. |
| Adrián Beltré - Adrian Beltre is a Dominican former MLB third baseman for the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox, and Rangers, widely regarded as one of the greatest at his position. |
