Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Adrien

Adrien is the French form of Adrian (just as Julien is the French form of Julian). It’s that subtle difference between the “e” and the “a”. Adrian is ultimately derived from Hadrianus, a Roman cognomen (i.e. nickname) which was a part of the three name structure of the ancient Roman naming practices (a given name, a clan name and a nickname). Hadrianus meant, quite simply, “from Hadria” – an ancient city in northern Italy located on the Adriatic Sea (from where it’s suspected to have taken its name). The name was most notably borne by the 2nd century Roman Emperor, Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus), remembered fondly as one of the so-called “Five Good Emperors”. Hadrian is best known for erecting Hadrian’s Wall in England, then the most northern point of the ever-expanding Roman Empire. The intent was to protect the new Roman provinces from attacks by the marauding Scottish/Celtic tribes. The 75-mile long wall took 10 years to build, parts of which are still very visible today across the rolling hills of northern England. A total of six Roman Catholic Popes used the name Adrian (Papa Hadrianus) in the Middle Ages, most notably, Pope Adrian IV (12th century), who has the distinction of being the only English-born Pope to this day. Both Adrian and Adrien remained in circulation from Antiquity throughout the Middle Ages up to modern times. Today the Adrian (with an “a”) spelling is surprisingly popular all over the place: Spain, the Basque Country, Catalonia, Norway, Poland, Austria, Germany, the Philippines, Croatia, United States, Sweden and Hungary. Adrien (with an “e”) is very popular in France, Belgium and French-speaking Quebec. Whether you spell it Adrian or Adrien – this old man from Hadria is super-ultra cosmopolitan cool.

All About the Baby Name – Adrien

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ADRIEN

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ADRIEN

The Adrian spelling is much more common in the United States compared to Adrien. In fact, Adrien didn’t show up on the Top 1000 list until 1999 (by this time, Adrian was already on the Top 100). Although Adrien hasn’t come even close the success of Adrian he still seems to be sticking around. For parents drawn to this classic Latin name it really just comes down to spelling preference. Go with Adrien if you favor the French. It’s much less common and it’s perfectly legitimate.

Quick Facts

ON ADRIEN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

French

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

795

PRONUNCIATION:

ad-ree-AWN

SIMPLE MEANING:

fron Hadria

Characteristics

OF ADRIEN

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Adrien

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ADRIEN

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Adrien

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ADRIEN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Adrien


Popular Songs

ON ADRIEN

Adrien
an opera by Méhul

Famous People

NAMED ADRIEN

Adrien Brody (actor)
Adrien Auzout (French astronomer)
Adrien Baillet (French scholar)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ADRIEN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Adrien

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ADRIEN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Adrien