boy's name
Adrien
ah-dree-AHN
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 153,508
France
#164
2025 births
Adrien is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "from Hadria," a town that also gave the Adriatic its name. It ranks 164th in France and is falling from a peak our records place in 1991.
- Adrien is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1991, when 4,355 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,637 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
Adrien over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 9,905 |
| 1910s | 8,090 |
| 1920s | 7,790 |
| 1930s | 3,935 |
| 1940s | 1,955 |
| 1950s | 1,425 |
| 1960s | 820 |
| 1970s | 2,395 |
| 1980s | 27,590 |
| 1990s | 38,520 |
| 2000s | 23,675 |
| 2010s | 10,430 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,885 |
What Adrien means
Adrien means from Hadria, a town in northern Italy. The name is territorial rather than descriptive — it says where an ancestor came from, and the town's own name is probably Etruscan and unexplained.
Where Adrien comes from
Adrien is the French form of Hadrianus, meaning of Hadria, a town in the Veneto that also gave its name to the Adriatic Sea. Its most famous bearer is the emperor Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138 and whose wall across northern Britain still stands; he consolidated rather than expanded the empire, which was a deliberate reversal of Trajan's policy. Six popes took the name, including Adrian IV, the only English pope, who by tradition granted Ireland to Henry II in the bull Laudabiliter of 1155 — a document whose authenticity has been argued over ever since. The Dutch Adriaan, the Italian Adriano and the English Adrian are the same name, and Adrienne is the feminine.
Adrien in use
Adrien ranks 164th in France with about 360 births in 2025 and is falling in our data from a peak in 1991. Our records carry it from 1900. It holds 1,161st in the United States and 1,955th in England and Wales, where the English Adrian carries the demand instead and is counted separately — the two spellings together stand well above either alone.
How popular is Adrien?
In 2025, Adrien was given to 360 babies in France, ranking #164 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Adrien is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Adrien
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Adrien also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Adrien over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Adrien 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 Adrien
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Adrien — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Adrien
What does the name Adrien mean?
Adrien means "from Hadria," a town in northern Italy that also named the Adriatic.
Is Adrien related to Hadrian?
Yes — the emperor Hadrian carried the same name, Hadrianus.
Was there an English pope called Adrian?
Adrian IV, the only English pope, who by tradition granted Ireland to Henry II in 1155.
How popular is Adrien?
164th in France.
Is Adrien a girl's or a boy's name?
Adrien is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
Is Adrien a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Adrien currently ranks #164 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.