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".Adrian Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, p.7. .
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.
Religion Pope Adrian I (c. 700–795) Pope Adrian II (c. 792–872) Pope Adrian III (c. 830–885) Pope Adrian IV (c. 1100–1159), English pope Pope Adrian V (c. 1205–1276) Pope Adrian VI (1459–1523), Dutch pope Adrian of Batanea (died 308), Christian martyr and saint Adrian of Canterbury (died 709 or 710), Berber scholar and abbot in Anglo-Saxon England Adrian of Castello (1460–1521), Italian cardinal and writer Adrian of May (died 875), Scottish saint from the Isle of May, martyred by Vikings Adrian of Moscow (1627–1700), last pre-revolutionary Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Adrian of Nicomedia (died 306), martyr and Herculian Guard of the Roman Emperor Galerius Maximian Adrian of Ondrusov (died 1549), Russian Orthodox saint and wonder-worker Adrian of Poshekhonye (died 1550), Russian Orthodox saint, hegumen of Dormition monastery in Yaroslavl region Adrian of Transylvania (fl. 1183–1201), Hungarian bishop and chancellor Adrian Fortescue (martyr) (1476–1539), English courtier at Henry VIII's court, beatified as a Roman Catholic martyr Adrian Kivumbi Ddungu (1923–2009), Ugandan Roman Catholic bishop Adrian Leo Doyle (born 1936), Australian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
Government and politics Adrian Amstutz (born 1953), Swiss politician Adrian Arnold (1932–2018), American politician Adrian Bailey (born 1945), British politician Adrian Baillie (1898–1947), British politician Adrian A. Basora (born 1938), US Ambassador to the Czech Republic Adrian Benepe (born 1957), American Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Adrian Bennett (1933–2006), Australian politician Adrian Benjamin Bentzon (1777–1827), Norwegian Governor of the British West Indies Adrian Berry, 4th Viscount Camrose (1937–2016), British hereditary peer and journalist Adrian P. Burke (1904–2000), American judge and politician Adrián Fernández Cabrera (born 1967), Mexican politician Adrian Cioroianu (born 1967), Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Adrian Cochrane-Watson (born 1967), Irish politician Adrian Davis (civil servant), British economist and civil servant Adrian Delia (born 1969), Maltese politician Adrian Fenty (born 1970), American politician, mayor of Washington D.C. Adrian Flook (born 1963), British politician Adrian Foster (politician), Canadian politician Adrian Hasler (born 1964), Prime Minister of Liechtenstein Adrian Knatchbull-Hugessen (1891–1976), Canadian lawyer and senator Adrian Kubicki (born 1987), Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York City. Adrián Vázquez Lázara (born 1982), Spanish politician Adrian Molin (1880–1942), Swedish writer and political activist Adrian Năstase (born 1950), Romanian politician Adrian Neritani, former Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations Adrián Rivera Pérez (born 1962), Mexican politician Adrian Piccoli (born 1970), Australian politician Adrian Cola Rienzi (1905–1972), Trinidadin and Tobagonian trade unionist, civil rights activist, politician, and lawyer Adriano Sánchez Roa (born 1956), Dominican politician Adrian Rurawhe (born 1961), New Zealand politician Adrian M. Smith (born 1970), American politician Adrian Sanders (born 1959), British politician Adrian Severin (born 1954), Romanian politician and Member of the European Parliament Adrian Smith (politician) (born 1970), American politician Adrian Stokes (courtier) (1519–1586), English politician Adrian Stoughton (1556–1614), English politician Adrian Zuckerman (born 1956), US Ambassador to Romania
Academia Adrian Albert (1905–1972), American mathematician Adrian Baddeley (born 1955), Australian scientist Adrian Bailey (academic), American scholar Adrian Bejan (born 1948), Romanian-born professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University Adrian Beverland (1650–1716), Dutch philosopher and jurist who settled in England Adrian Bird (born 1947), British geneticist Adrian Bowyer (born 1952), British engineer, creator of the RepRap project Adrian John Brown (1852–1919), British professor and pioneer Adrian David Cheok (born 1971/1972), Australian electrical engineer and professor Adrian Curaj (born 1958), Romanian engineer Adrian Darby (born 1937), British conservationist and academic Adrian Goldsworthy (born 1969), British historian and author who writes mostly about ancient Roman history Adrian Hardy Haworth (1767–1833), English entomologist, botanist and carcinologist Adrian Ioana (born 1981), Romanian mathematician Adrian Mihai Ionescu, Romanian professor Adrian Ioviță (born 1954), Romanian-Canadian mathematician Adrian Jacobsen (1853–1947), Norwegian ethnologist and explorer Adrian Kaehler, American scientist, engineer, entrepreneur, inventor, and author Adrian Liston (born 1980), British immunologist and author Adrian Paterson, South African scientist and engineer Adrián Recinos (1886–1962), Guatemalan historian, Mayanist and diplomat Adrian Smith (born 1946), British statistician Adrian Stephens (1795–1876), English engineer, inventor of the steam whistle Adrian V. Stokes (1945–2020), British computer scientist Adrian Webb (born 1943), British academic and public administrator Adrian Zenz (born 1974), German anthropologist
Military Adrian Becher (1897–1957), British Army officer and cricketer Adrian von Bubenberg (1434–1479), Bernese knight, military commander and mayor Adrian Carton de Wiart (1880–1963), Belgian-born British Army lieutenant-general awarded the Victoria Cross Adrian Cole (RAAF officer) (1895–1966), Australian World War I flying ace Adrian Johns (born 1951), English governor of Gibraltar and former Royal Navy vice-admiral Adrian Dietrich Lothar von Trotha (1848–1920), German military commander in Africa Adrian Marks (1917–1998), United States Navy pilot Adrian Consett Stephen (1894–1918), Australian artillery officer and playwright Adrian Warburton (1918–1944), British Second World War pilot Adrián Woll (1795–1875), French Mexican general during the Texas Revolution and the Mexican–American War
Sports American football Adrian Amos (born 1993), American football player Adrian Arrington (born 1985), American football player Adrian Awasom (born 1983), Cameroon-born American football player Adrian Baird (born 1979), Canadian football player Adrian Baril (1898–1961), American football player Adrian Battles (born 1987), American football player Adrian Breen (quarterback) (born 1965), American football player Adrian Burk (1927–2003), American football player Adrian Clarke (born 1991), Canadian football player Adrian Clayborn (born 1988), American football player Adrian Colbert (born 1993), American football player Adrian Cooper (born 1968), American football player Adrian Davis (Canadian football) (born 1981), Canadian football player A. J. Davis (cornerback, born 1983), American football player known as A.J. Davis Adrian Dingle (American football) (born 1977), American football player Adrian Ealy (born 1999), American football player Adrian Ford (1904–1977), American football player Adrian Grady (born 1985), American football player Adrian Hamilton (born 1987), American football player Adrian Hardy (born 1970), American football player Adrian Hubbard (born 1992), American football player Adrian Jones (offensive guard) (born 1981), American football player Adrian Killins (born 1998), American football player Adrian Klemm (born 1977), American football player and coach Adrian Madise (born 1980), American football player Adrian Magee (born 1996), American football player Adrian Martinez (American football) (born 2000), American football player Adrian Mayes (born 1980), American football player Adrian Moten (born 1988), American football player Adrian Murrell (born 1970), American football player Adrian Peterson (American football, born 1979), American football player Adrian Peterson (born 1985), American football player Adrian Phillips (born 1992), American football player Adrian Robinson (1989–2015), American football player Adrian Ross (born 1975), American football player Adrian Tracy (born 1988), American football player Adrian White (American football) (born 1964), American football player Adrian Wilson (American football) (born 1979), American football player Adrian Young (American football) (born 1949), American football player
Association football Adrián Aldrete (born 1988), Mexican footballer Adrian Aliaj (born 1976), Albanian footballer Adrian Allenspach (born 1969), Swiss footballer Adrian Alston (born 1949), English footballer Adrián Álvarez (born 1968), Argentine footballer Adrian Anca (born 1976), Romanian footballer and manager Adrian Antunović (born 1989), Croatian footballer Adrián Argachá (born 1986), Uruguayan footballer Adrian García Arias (born 1975), Mexican footballer and manager Adrián Arregui (born 1992), Argentine footballer Adrián Ascues (born 2002), Peruvian footballer Adrian Ávalos (born 1974), Argentine footballer Adrian Avrămia (born 1992), Romanian footballer Adrian Bajrami (born 2002), Swiss footballer Adrian Bakalli (born 1976), Belgian footballer Adrian Bălan (born 1990), Romanian footballer Adrián Balboa (born 1994), Uruguayan footballer Adrian Baldovin (born 1971), Romanian footballer Adrian Barbullushi (born 1968), Albanian footballer Adrian Bartkowiak (born 1987), Polish footballer Adrian Basta (born 1988), Polish footballer Adrián Bastía (born 1978), Argentine footballer Adrian Beck (born 1997), German footballer Adrian Benedyczak (born 2000), Polish footballer Adrián Berbia (born 1977), Uruguayan goalkeeper Adrián Bernabé (born 2001), Spanish footballer Adrian Bevington (born ), British football PR and director Adrian Bielawski (born 1996), Polish footballer Adrian Bird (born 1969), English footballer Adrian Błąd (born 1991), Polish footballer Adrian Blake (born 2005), English footballer Adrian Bogoi (born 1973), Romanian footballer Adrián Bone (born 1988), Ecuadorian footballer Adrian Boothroyd (born 1971), English footballer and manager Adrian Borza (born 1985), Romanian footballer Adrian Budka (born 1980), Polish footballer Adrian Bumbescu (born 1960), Romanian footballer Adrian Bumbut (born 1984), Romanian footballer Adrian Butters (born 1988), Canadian soccer player Adrián Butzke (born 1999), Spanish footballer Adrian Caceres (born 1982), Argentine footballer Adrián Calello (born 1987), Argentine footballer Adrián Cañas (born 1992), Spanish footballer Adrian Cann (born 1980), Canadian soccer player Adrian Cașcaval (born 1987), Moldovan footballer Adrián Centurión (born 1993), Argentine footballer Adrián Čermák (born 1993), Slovak footballer Adrian Chama (born 1989), Zambian footballer Adrián Chávez (born 1962), Mexican footballer Adrian Chomiuk (born 1988), Polish footballer Adrián Chovan (born 1995), Slovak footballer Adrian Cieślewicz (born 1990), Polish footballer Adrian Clarke (footballer) (born 1974), English footballer Adrian Clifton (born 1988), English footballer