The name is derived from the Latin Hadrianus, a Roman cognomen meaning, “from Hadria.” Hadria was a small town in the North of Italy. It gave its name to the Adriatic Sea.

The name was borne by Publius Aelius Hadrianus (76-138 CE), known in the modern world as Emperor Hadrian, he is most famous for the wall he built across Great Britain, known as Hadrian’s Wall.

The name remained common throughout Europe, and is fairly popular across the Western World till this day. It was borne by several saints and popes, including the first and only English pope, Adrian IV, as well as the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI.

Currently, Adrian is the 6th most popular male name in Spain, (2010) and the 7th most popular in Norway, (2010). His rankings in other countries are as follows:

• # 29 (Catalonia, 2009)
• # 33 (Poland, 2010)
• # 43 (Germany, 2011)
• # 48 (Austria, 2010)
• # 49 (Croatia, 2010)
• # 51 (France, Adrien, 2010)
• # 56 (United States, 2010)
• # 60 (Sweden, 2010)
• # 63 (Hungary, 2010)
• # 81 (Belgium, Adrien, 2009)
• # 455 (France, Adrian, 2009)

Other forms of the name include:

• Ad (Afrikaans/Limbergish)
• Adriaan (Afrikaans/Dutch)
• Adrianus (Afrikaans/Latin)
• Arrie (Afrikaans)
• At (Afrikaans)
• Daan (Afrikaans)
• Jaans (Afrikaans)
• Adrian Адриан (Albanian/Bulgarian/Croatian/Dutch/English/Finnish/Polish/Romanian/Russian/Scandinavian/Ukrainian)
• Ardian (Albanian)
• Adrianu (Asturian/Corsican/Sicilian)
• Adiran (Basque)
• Adrijan (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian/Slovene)
• Hadrijan (Bosnian)
• Adrià (Catalan)
• Jadran(ko) (Croatian)
• Adrián (Czech/Hungarian/Slovak/Spanish)
• Arie (Dutch)
• Arjan (Dutch)
• Hadrian(us) (Dutch/German/Latin)
• Adrien (French)
• Hadrien (French)
• Aidrean (Gaelic)
• Adrán (Galician)
• Adrao (Galician)
• Hadrán (Galician)
• Hadrao (Galician)
• Hádrian (Galician)
• Adrianos Αδριανός (Greek)
• Adorján (Hungarian)
• Adrían (Icelandic)
• Adriano (Italian/Portuguese)
• Adrio (Italian)
• Adriāns (Latvian)
• Adrianas (Lithuanian)
• Adrijonas (Lithuanian)
• Adrião (Portuguese)
• Adriànu (Sardinian)

Feminine forms include:

• Adriana  (Albanian/Bulgarian/Catalan/Czech/Galician/German/Greek/Italian/Latin/Lithuanian/Polish/Romanian/Russian/Slovak/Spanish)
• Adrijana (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian)
• Hadrijana (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian)
• Jadranka (Croatian)
• Adriána (Czech/Hungarian/Slovak)
• Ariane (Dutch)
• Hadriana (Galician/Latin)
• Adria (German/Italian)
• Adriane (German)
• Adrienne (French)
• Adrienn (Hungarian)
• Adrianna (Polish)
• Drina (Spanish)

Polish feminine diminutives are Ada and Adi.