Adrian
Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word adur, meaning "sea" or "water".
Meaning & Origin of Adrian
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word adur, meaning "sea" or "water".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Adrian
As a girl name
Adrian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1911, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1983, when 479 Adrians were born — ranking #440 that year. As of 2026, Adrian ranks #2,795 for girls with 60 births, falling sharply (-25%). In total, more than 16K Adrians have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Adrian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 18 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 7,937 Adrians were born — ranking #56 that year. As of 2026, Adrian ranks #76 for boys with 4,442 births, falling sharply (-18%). In total, more than 277K Adrians have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Adrian
Phonetically similar names — useful when Adrian is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Adrian
What does the name Adrian mean?
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In which U.S. states is Adrian most popular?
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About the name Adrian
Adrian is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 277K births in the dataset. Adrian's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #56. Use the chart and map above to compare Adrian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2008 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.