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Name Origin

Adrian is a masculine given name of Latin origin, derived from the Roman cognomen 'Hadrianus'. It traditionally means 'from Hadria', referring to a city in northern Italy. The name gained popularity in the Middle Ages and remains a common choice today.

latinromanmasculineitalyhadriatraditional

Famous People

Adrian Paul (1959-)

Actor

  • Known for his role as Duncan MacLeod in the Highlander franchise

Adrian Smith (1957-)

Guitarist

  • Guitarist for Iron Maiden
  • Known for his distinctive twin guitar harmonies with Dave Murray

Adrian Chiles (1967-)

Television and radio presenter

  • Known for presenting Match of the Day and The One Show

Adrian Frutiger (1928-2015)

Type designer

  • Created iconic typefaces such as Univers and Frutiger

Adrian Peterson (1985-)

American football player

  • NFL MVP (2012)
  • 7x Pro Bowl selection
  • 4x First-team All-Pro

Adrian Belew (1949-)

Musician, composer, singer-songwriter

  • Guitarist for King Crimson
  • Solo career with acclaimed experimental albums

Adrian Brody (1973-)

Actor

  • Academy Award for Best Actor (The Pianist)