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'. The Adria was until the 8th century BC the main channel of the Po River into the Adriatic Sea but ceased to exist before the 1st century BC. Hecataeus of Miletus (c.550 - c.476 BC) asserted that both the Etruscan harbor city of Adria and the Adriatic Sea had been named after it. Emperor Hadrian's family was named after the city or region of Adria/Hadria, now Atri, in Picenum, which most likely started as an Etruscan or Greek colony of the older harbor city of the same name.
Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI. As an English name, it has been in use since the Middle Ages, although it did not become common until modern times.
Pope Adrian I (c. 700-795)Pope Adrian II (792–872)Pope Adrian III (died 885)Pope Adrian IV (c. 1100–1159), English popePope Adrian V (c. 1205–1276)Pope Adrian VI (1459–1523), Dutch popeAdrian of Batanea (died 308), Christian martyr and saintAdrian of Canterbury (died 710), scholar and Abbot of St Augustine's Abbey in CanterburyAdrian of Castello (1460–1521), Italian cardinal and writerAdrian of May (died 875), Scottish saint from the Isle of May, martyred by VikingsAdrian of Moscow (1627–1700), last pre-revolutionary Patriarch of Moscow and All RussiaAdrian of Nicomedia (died 306), martyr and Herculian Guard of the Roman Emperor Galerius MaximianAdrian of Ondrusov (died 1549), Russian Orthodox saint and wonder-workerAdrian of Poshekhonye (died 1550), Russian Orthodox saint, hegumen of Dormition monastery in Yaroslavl regionAdrian Fortescue (martyr) (1476–1539), English courtier at Henry VIII's court, beatified as a Roman Catholic martyrAdrian Gouffier de Boissy (1479–1523), French Roman Catholic bishop and cardinalAdrian Kivumbi Ddungu (1923–2009), Ugandan Roman Catholic bishopAdrian Leo Doyle (born 1936), Australian prelate of the Roman Catholic ChurchGovernment, politics and the military
Adrian Amstutz (born 1953), Swiss politicianAdrian Bailey (born 1945), British Labour Co-operative politicianAdrian von Bubenberg (1434–1479), Bernese knight, military commander and mayorAdrian Carton de Wiart (1880–1963), Belgian-born British Army officerAdrian Cole (1895–1966), Australian World War I flying aceAdrian Fenty (born 1970), American politician, mayor of Washington D.C.Adrian Hasler (born 1964), Liechtenstein politicianAdrian Johns (born 1951), English governor of Gibraltar and former senior officer in the Royal NavyAdrian Năstase (born 1950), Romanian politicianAdrian von Renteln (1897–1946), Nazi commander in LithuaniaAdrian M. Smith (born 1970), American politician from NebraskaAdrian Severin (born 1954), Romanian politician and Member of the European ParliamentAdrian Dietrich Lothar von Trotha (1848–1920), German military commander in AfricaAdrian Warburton (1918–1944), British World War II pilotAdrián Woll (1795–1875), French Mexican general during the Texas Revolution and the Mexican–American WarAdrian Albert (1905–1972), American mathematicianAdrian Bejan (born 1948), Romanian-born professor of mechanical engineering at Duke UniversityAdrian Beverland (1650–1716), Dutch philosopher and jurist who settled in EnglandAdrian Bird (born 1947), British geneticistAdrian Curaj (born 1958), Romanian engineerAdrian Darby (born 1937), British conservationist and academicAdrian Goldsworthy (born 1969), British historian and author who writes mostly about ancient Roman historyAdrian Hardy Haworth (1767–1833), English entomologist, botanist and carcinologistAdrian Jacobsen (1853–1947), Norwegian ethnologist and explorerAdrián Recinos (1886–1962), Guatemalan historian, Mayanist and diplomatAdrián (footballer) (born 1978), Spanish football goalkeeperAdrian Adonis (1954–1988), American professional wrestlerAdrián Aldrete (born 1988), Mexican footballerAdrian Aliaj (born 1976), Albanian footballerAdrian Alston (born 1949), Australian soccer playerAdrian Amos (born 1993), American football playerAdrian Anca (born 1976), Romanian footballerAdrián Annus (born 1973), Hungarian hammer throwerAdrian Constantine Anson better known as Cap Anson (1852–1922), American baseball playerAdrian Apostol (born 1990), Romanian rugby playerAdrian Archibald (born 1969), British motorcycle racerAdrián Argachá (born 1986), Uruguayan footballerAdrian Autry (born 1972), American basketball playerAdrian Avrămia (born 1992), Romanian footballerAdrian Aucoin (born 1973), Canadian National Hockey League playerAdrian Awasom (born 1983), Cameroon-born American football playerAdrian Aymes (born 1964), British cricketerAdrian Barath (born 1990), West Indian cricketerAdrián Bastía (born 1978), Argentine footballerAdrián Beltré (born 1979), Dominican Republic baseball playerAdrián Berbia (born 1977), Uruguayan goalkeeperAdrián Bone (born 1988), Ecuadorian footballerAdrian Boothroyd (born 1971), English footballer and managerAdrian Branch (born 1963), American basketball playerAdrian Buchan (born 1982), Australian surferAdrian Bumbescu (born 1960), Romanian footballerAdrian Burnside (born 1977), Australian baseball playerAdrian Caldwell (born 1966), American basketball playerAdrián Calello (born 1987), Argentine footballerAdrián Campos (born 1960), Spanish Formula One driverAdrian Cann (born 1980), Canadian Major League Soccer playerAdrián Centurión (born 1993), Argentine footballerAdrián Chávez (born 1962), Mexican footballerAdrián Colunga (born 1984), Spanish footballerAdrian Cosma (born 1950), Romanian handball playerAdrian Crișan (born 1980), Romanian table tennis playerAdrian Cristea (born 1983), Romanian footballerAdrian Dantley (born 1956), American retired National Basketball Association (NBA) playerAdrian Diaconu (born 1978), Romanian professional boxerAdrian Elrick (born 1949), New Zealand association footballerAdrián Escudero (1927–2011), Spanish footballerAdrián Fernández (born 1965), Mexican racing driverAdrian Foster (born 1982), Canadian ice hockey playerAdrian Garvey (born 1968), Zimbabwean-born South African rugby union playerAdrián Gavira (born 1987), Spanish beach volleyball playerAdrian Gonzalez (born 1982), Mexican-American Major League Baseball playerAdrián Hernán González (born 1976), Argentine footballerAdrián González Morales (born 1988), Spanish footballerAdrian Griffin (born 1974), American retired NBA playerAdrián Gunino (born 1989), Uruguayan footballerAdrian Gunnell (born 1972), English snooker playerAdrian Heath (born 1961), English football manager and former playerAdrián Hernández (boxer) (born 1986), Mexican boxerAdrian Iencsi (born 1975), Romanian football player and managerAdrian Ilie (born 1974), Romanian retired footballerAdrian Joss (1880–1911), American baseball pitcherAdrian Knup (born 1968), Swiss footballerAdrian Kurek (born 1988), Polish road bicycle racerAdrian Leijer (born 1986), Australian footballerAdrian Lewis (born 1985), English darts playerAdrián López (born 1988), Spanish footballerAdrián Luna (born 1992), Uruguayan footballerAdrian Madaschi (born 1982), Australian footballerAdrian Mannarino (born 1988), French tennis playerAdrian Mariappa (born 1986), English footballerAdrián Martínez (born 1970), Mexican goalkeeperAdrian Metcalfe (born 1942), British runner and sports broadcasterAdrian Mierzejewski (born 1986), Polish footballerAdrian Mihalcea (born 1976), Romanian footballerAdrian Mikhalchishin (born 1954), Ukrainian chess grandmasterAdrian Moorhouse (born 1964), English breaststroke swimmerAdrian Morley (born 1977), English professional rugby playerAdrian Mutu (born 1979), Romanian footballerAdrian Neaga (born 1979), Romanian footballerAdrian Neville (born 1986), English professional wrestlerAdrian Newey (born 1958), British race car engineer and designerAdrián Alonso Pereira (born 1988), Spanish futsal playerAdrian Peterson (born 1985), American NFL running backAdrian Phillips (born 1992), American football playerAdrian Piţ (born 1983), Romanian footballerAdrian Popa (born 1988), Romanian football strikerAdrian Popescu (born 1960), Romanian football defenderAdrian Pukanych (born 1981), Ukrainian footballerAdrian Quaife-Hobbs (born 1991), British race car driverAdrian Quist (1913–1991), Australian male tennis playerAdrián Ramos (born 1986), Colombian footballerAdrián Ricchiuti (born 1978), Argentine footballerAdrián Romero (born 1977), Uruguayan footballerAdrian Ropotan (born 1986), Romanian footballerAdrian Sălăgeanu (born 1983), Romanian footballerAdrian Schultheiss (born 1988), Swedish figure skaterAdrian Serioux (born 1979), Canadian soccer playerAdrian Sikora (born 1980), Polish footballerAdrian Smith (basketball) (born 1936), American basketball playerAdrian Aas Stien (born 1992), Norwegian cyclistAdrian Stoian (born 1991), Romanian footballerAdrian Stoop (1883–1957), English rugby union playerAdrian Strzałkowski (born 1990), Polish long jumperAdrian Sutil (born 1983), German Formula One racing driverAdrian Tudor (born 1985), Romanian basketball playerAdrian Ungur (born 1985), Romanian tennis playerAdrián Vallés (born 1986), Spanish race car driverAdrian Voinea (born 1974), Romanian tennis playerAdrian Wichser (born 1980), Swiss ice hockey playerAdrian Wilson (American football) (born 1979), American football safetyAdrian Winter (born 1986), Swiss football midfielderAdrian Zaugg (born 1986), South African race car driverAdrian Zieliński (born 1989), Polish weightlifterArts and entertainment
Adrian (costume designer) (1903–1959), born Adrian Adolph Greenberg, costume designer for over 250 filmsAdrian (video gamer) (born 1997), American professional videogamerAdrian Adlam (born 1963), British violinist and conductorAdrian Aeschbacher (1912–2002), Swiss classical pianistAdrian Allinson (1890–1959), British painter, potter and engraverAdrián Alonso (born 1994), Mexican actorAdrian Alphona, Canadian comic book artistAdrian Anantawan (born 1986), Canadian violinistAdrian Baker (born 1951), English singer, songwriter, and record producerAdrian Batten (1591–1637), English organistAdrian Belew (born 1949), American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producerAdrian Biddle (1952–2005), English cinematographerAdrian Borland (1957–1999), English singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producerAdrian Boult (1889–1983), English conductorAdrian Brunel (1892–1958), English film director and screenwriterAdrián Caetano (born 1969), Uruguayan-Argentine film director, producer and screenplay writerAdrian Carmack (born 1969), American video game artistAdrian Chiles (born 1967), British television and radio presenterAdrian Dunbar (born 1958), Northern Ireland actorAdrian Edmondson better known as Ade Edmonson (born 1957), English actor, comedian, director, writer and musicianAdrian Enescu (born 1948), Romanian composerAdrian Erlandsson (born 1970), Swedish heavy metal drummerAdrian Fisher (musician) (1952-2000), former guitarist for Sparks (band)Adrian Gaxha (born 1984), Macedonian singer-songwriter and producerAdrian Ghenie (born 1977), Romanian painterAdrian Gonzales (1937-1998), Filipino comic book artistAdrian Grenier (born 1976), American actor, musician and directorAdrian Gurvitz (born 1949), English singer, musician and songwriterAdrian Hates (born 1973), German dark wave musicianAdrian Hoven (1922–1981), Austrian actor, producer and film directorAdrian Ivaniţchi (born 1947), Romanian folk musician and guitaristAdrian Jones (sculptor) (1845–1938), English sculptor and painter who specialized in animals, particularly horsesAdrian Kowanek (born 1977), Polish musicianAdrian Le Roy (1520–1598), French string player, composer, music publisher and educatorAdrian Leaper (born 1953), English conductorAdrian Legg (born 1948), English guitar playerAdrian Lester (born 1968), British actorAdrian Lulgjuraj (born 1980), Albanian rock singerAdrian Lukis (born 1957), British actorAdrian Lux (born 1986), Swedish discjockey and music producerAdrian Lyne (born 1941), English filmmaker and producerAdrian Martinez, American actorAdrian Minune (born 1974), Romani-Romanian manele singerAdrian Mitchell (1932–2008), English poet, novelist and playwrightAdrian Noble (born 1950), English theatre directorAdrian Pasdar (born 1965), American actor and film directorAdrian Paul (born 1959), English actorAdrian Piotrovsky (1898–1937), Russian dramaturgeAdrian Piper (born 1948), American conceptual artist and philosophy professorAdrian R'Mante (born 1978), American television actorAdrian Rawlins (born 1958), English actorAdrian Ludwig Richter (1803–1884), German painter and etcherAdrián Rodríguez (born 1988), Spanish actor and singer from CataloniaAdrian Rollini (1903–1956), American multi-instrumentalist best known for his jazz musicAdrian Ross (1859–1933), British lyricistAdrian Scarborough (born 1968), English character actorAdrian Scott (1912–1972), American screenwriter and film producerAdrian Shaposhnikov (1888–1967), Russian classical composerAdrian Sherwood (born 1958), English record producerAdrian Sînă (born 1977), Romanian singer-songwriter and record producerAdrian D. Smith (born 1944), American architectAdrian Smith (born 1957), English musician and one of three guitarists/songwriters in the English band Iron MaidenAdrian Scott Stokes (1854–1935), English landscape painterAdrián Suar (born 1968), Argentine actor and media producerAdrián Terrazas-González (born 1975), Mexican jazz composer and wind playerAdrian Thaws (born 1968), English musician and actorAdrian Tomine (born 1974), American cartoonistAdrian Utley (born 1957), English musician best known as a member of the band PortisheadAdrian Vandenberg (born 1954), Dutch rock guitaristAdrian Willaert (c. 1490–1562), Flemish composer of the Renaissance and founder of the Venetian SchoolAdrian Young (born 1969), American drummer for the rock band No DoubtAdrian Zingg (1734–1816), Swiss painterAdrian Zmed (born 1954), American television personality and film actorAdrian A. Basora (born 1938), American diplomatAdrian Block (1567–1627), Dutch explorer of the American East CoastAdrian Cioroianu (born 1967), Romanian historian, politician, journalist, and essayistAdrian Conan Doyle (1910–1970), English race-car driver, big-game hunter, explorer, and writerAdrian Cronauer (born 1938), American former lawyer and radio speakerAdrian Diel (1756–1839), German physicianAdrian Finighan (born 1964), British journalistAdrian Frutiger (born 1928), Swiss typeface designerAdrian Fulford (born 1953), British judgeAdrian Geiges (born 1960), German writer and journalistAdrian Anthony Gill (1954–2016), British writer and criticAdrian Hanauer (born 1966), American businessman and minority owner and general manager of the Seattle Sounders FCAdrian Holovaty (born 1981), American web developer, journalist and entrepreneurAdrian van Hooydonk (born 1964), Dutch automobile designerAdrian A. Husain (born 1945), Pakistani poetAdrian Albert Jurgens (1886–1953), South African philatelistAdrian Kantrowitz (1918–2008), American cardiac surgeonAdrian Kashchenko (1858–1921), Ukrainian writer, historian of Zaporozhian CossacksAdrian Knox (1863–1932), Australian judgeAdrian Künzi (born 1973), Swiss bankerAdrian Lamo (born 1981), Colombian-American threat analyst and "grey hat" hackerAdrian Lim (1942–1988), Singaporean serial killerAdrian von Mynsicht (1603–1638), German alchemistAdrian Păunescu (1943–2010), Romanian poet, journalist, and politicianAdrian Plass (born 1948), English author and speakerAdrian Rogers (1931–2005), American pastor, conservative, authorAdrian Anthony Spears (1910–1991), American judgeAdrian Stephen (1883–1948), British author and psychoanalyst, brother of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa BellAdrian Ursu (born 1968), Romanian journalistAdrian Weale (born 1964), English writer, journalist, illustrator and photographerAdrian Wewer (1836–1914), German-born American architect and Franciscan monkAdrian Zecha (born 1933), Indonesian hotelierAdrian Corbo, alias Flex, a Marvel Comics superheroAdrian Ivashkov, character in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and protagonist in BloodlinesAdrian Leverkühn, protagonist of Thomas Mann's Doctor FaustusAdrian Mole, protagonist of The Secret Diary of Adrian MoleAdrian Monk, protagonist of the television series MonkAdrian Pennino, wife of Rocky BalboaAdrian Shephard, protagonist of the Half-Life expansion "Half-Life: Opposing Force"Alucard (Castlevania), Adrian Fahrenheit Ţepeş, in the Castlevania video gamesAdrian Toomes, alias Vulture, a Marvel Comics villainAdrian Veidt, alias Ozymandias, character in the Watchmen graphic novel seriesAdrian, spawn of Satan in the film Rosemary's Baby 