Adrian

You might think of Adrian as a boy’s name — and indeed it is a traditionally masculine moniker — but this very ancient name, used by no fewer than six Popes, has history as a girl name, too. Stemming from Latin and meaning “from Hadria,” “man from Hadria,” and also “dark,” Adrian is a great choice for parents-to-be who are searching for a gender-neutral name that’s unique (but not too unique!) for their baby girl.

As a girl name, Adrian has earned a spot on the Social Security Administration’s Top 1000 list since 1949, when it ranked in at number 872. It hit peak popularity in 1983 with a ranking of number 440 (thanks in no small part to a blockbuster film, which we’ll get into below!). But more recently, it has fallen out of favor: In 2000, it just squeaked onto the list at number 999, and it has since fallen out of the Top 1000. (In contrast, Adrian has been on the Top 1000 list for boys since 1900 and reached a ranking high of number 56 in 2019.)

Although Adrian isn’t a common name among female celebrities, you’ll find well-known women with variations on the original spelling, including Brazilian model Adriana Lima and American poet Adrienne Rich.

So what propelled Adrian up the list in the early 80s? One pop-culture character — along with an iconic movie quote — surely played a role: Starting in 1976, actress Talia Shire played the character Adrian Pennino in the ‘Rocky’ film franchise. And even if you're not a film buff, you've probably heard references to Rocky’s famous line from 'Rocky II': “Yo Adrian, I did it!”