Usual English form of the Latin name Hadrianus ‘man from
Hadria’. Hadria was a town in northern Italy, which gave its
name to the Adriatic Sea; it is of unknown derivation. The
initial H- has always been very volatile. The name was borne by
the Roman emperor Publius Aelius Hadrianus, during whose reign
(ad 117–138) Hadrian's Wall was built across northern England.
The name was later taken by several early popes, including the
only English pope, Nicholas Breakspeare (Adrian IV). It was in
early use among immigrants from the Low Countries, and is found
in some English regions from the mid-16th century. It has
enjoyed considerable popularity in the English-speaking world
since the late 20th century.