Given name
Adriana
“holy”
Adriana is a variant of Adria. In Greek use, Adria carries the interpretation “from the Adriatic Sea region; woman with dark features.” In German use, Adriana is a variant of Ariadne. An ancient explanation combines an intensifying ari- with adnos, “holy,” suggesting an emphatic sense of holiness. This is a historical interpretation of the name, not a derivation that can be treated as beyond dispute.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Adriana is a variant of Adria. In Greek use, Adria carries the interpretation “from the Adriatic Sea region; woman with dark features.” In German use, Adriana is a variant of Ariadne. An ancient explanation combines an intensifying ari- with adnos, “holy,” suggesting an emphatic sense of holiness. This is a historical interpretation of the name, not a derivation that can be treated as beyond dispute.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In German use, Adriana is a variant of Ariadne. Ariadne comes from the Greek mythological tradition of Crete. Ariadne belonged to a daughter of King Minos and later also to a Phrygian Christian martyr. Adriana connects to the Adrian name family through Adria. A possible origin is Latin, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In German use, Adriana is a variant of Ariadne. The shared background comes through Ariadne: Greek scholars of the Hellenistic period explained the name through Cretan dialect elements ari- and adnos. French Arianne and Italian Arianna are recorded later forms of the name.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1888. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In German use, Adriana is a variant of Ariadne. The history of Ariadne gives this family its wider story. In the myth, Ariadne gives Theseus a ball of wool so he can retrace his way through the Labyrinth after killing the Minotaur. She leaves Crete with him, but he abandons her on Naxos. Ariadne also continued in Christian use through Saint Ariadne, an early martyr in Phrygia.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Adriana through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 96,796
- 404 boys · 96,392 girls
- Most popular year
- 2006
- 3,101 babies
- 2025
- 836
- #366 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 836 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 366 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 28.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 3,095 in 2006. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (132). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 126,691 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Adriana’s family of names
In German usage, Adriana has a short form in Jana. In English usage, Adriana shares an earlier linguistic root with Adrian. In English usage, Adriana has a conventional equivalent in the French form Adrienne.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Adriana has relatives in 17 languages.
23 related names in 17 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 17
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 13
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Adriandoublet · English
- Adriennedoublet · French, English
- Adrianomasculine form
- Adrinaequivalent
- Adrienaequivalent
- AdriennHungarian
- AdrijanaSlovene
- Adriènaequivalent
Show 5 moreShow fewer
See also 17
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Adriana
- Adriana LimaBrazilian modelborn 1981
- Adriana SklenaříkováSlovak actress, model and TV presenterborn 1971
- Adriana AstiItalian theatre, film, and voice actress (1931–2025)
- Adriana CaselottiAmerican actress (1916–1997)
- Adriana BarrazaMexican actress, acting coach, directorborn 1956
- Adriana EstevesBrazilian actressborn 1969
- Adriana UgarteSpanish actressborn 1985
- Adriana FonsecaMexican actressborn 1979
- Adriana OzoresSpanish actress (born 1959)
Characters named Adriana: Adriana La Cerva (The Sopranos).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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