boy's name
Adrian
AY-dree-un
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 316,792
the United States
#74
2025 births
Adrian is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "from Hadria," a town in northern Italy that also gave its name to the Adriatic Sea. The emperor Hadrian, who built the wall across northern Britain, took his name from the same place.
- Adrian is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2008, when 8,100 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 736 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Adrian over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 148 |
| 1890s | 196 |
| 1900s | 312 |
| 1910s | 2,012 |
| 1920s | 2,875 |
| 1930s | 2,392 |
| 1940s | 3,152 |
| 1950s | 5,042 |
| 1960s | 9,253 |
| 1970s | 21,347 |
| 1980s | 31,887 |
| 1990s | 44,656 |
| 2000s | 67,912 |
| 2010s | 67,147 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 29,651 |
What Adrian means
Adrian means a person from Hadria. The town's own name is often connected to a word for dark or black, possibly referring to the color of the local soil or sand, which would make the Adriatic literally the dark sea.
Where Adrian comes from
Adrian comes from the Latin Hadrianus, meaning of Hadria — a settlement in the Veneto whose name is thought to derive from a root meaning dark. The Adriatic Sea takes its name from the same town. Publius Aelius Hadrianus, emperor from 117, is the best-known ancient bearer and is remembered in Britain for the wall built across the north of the province. The name passed into Christian use through several popes, including Adrian IV, the only Englishman to hold the office, elected in 1154. English has used Adrian steadily since the medieval period, and the feminine Adriana and Adrienne follow from the same root.
Adrian in use
Hadrian's Wall and the Adriatic Sea are both named, at one remove, after the same small Italian town.
How popular is Adrian?
In 2025, Adrian was given to 4,505 babies in the United States, ranking #74 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Adrian is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Adrian is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Adriàn | Adriàn is Adrian written with a grave accent, used in France, where it ranks #844. | 235 |
Names that peaked alongside Adrian
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Adrian also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Adrian over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Adrian
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Adrian in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Adrian
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Adrian — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Adrian
What does the name Adrian mean?
Adrian means "from Hadria," a town in northern Italy.
Is Adrian connected to the Adriatic Sea?
Yes. Both take their name from the town of Hadria.
Is Adrian the same name as Hadrian?
Yes. Hadrian is the Latin form; Adrian is the English development.
How popular is the name Adrian?
In 2025, Adrian was given to 4,505 babies in the United States, ranking #74 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Adrian a girl's or a boy's name?
Adrian is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Adrian?
Adrian has 3 syllables.
When was Adrian most popular?
Adrian peaked in 2008, when 8,100 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Adrian?
Adrian is usually shortened to Ade, Adri and Rian.
Is Adrian a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Adrian currently ranks #74 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.