Hi to all the Adrians out there. I didn't know it was such a common name until I came here. I was surprised about all the other origins of the name and so far there haven't been any Mennonite Adrians so will contribute my early family history in hopes of finding relatives. I am especially interested in trying to find common ties back in Prussia before the Mennonites moved to Russia in the early 1800s. If anyone is interested in more detail, they can check at the home page <http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/a/d/r/Barton-W-Adrian/index.html>. The earliest Adrian of my family that I have been able to determine is Peter Dirk Adrian b1781. The Adrians were Mennonites in Prussia. Some sources seem to indicate that they may have been from the Netherlands and were part of the Mennonites that moved back and forth between the Netherlands and Prussia. Another source indicates that the Adrians originated in the region of the upper Vistula River in Prussia. Peter was married to Helena Adrian (not known if this was a maiden or married name) Peter Adrian moved with his family to the Molotschna Colonies if Russia in the 1820s. They were part of the great migrations known as Germans from Russia. Children of Peter and Helena were: Sara Adrian abt 1815 Jacob Adrian abt 1817 Maria Adrian abt 1817 Heinrich Adrian abt 1824 Peter Dirk Adrian June 10, 1825 Anna Adrian abt 1830 Peter Dirk Adrian b1825 married Anna Frey March 3, 1846 and immigrated to the United States in 1875 from Russia. Their children were: Anna Adrian b1848 died in Russia Peter P Adrian b1850 Helena Adrian b1852 Heinrich Peter Adrian b1854 Jacob P Adrian b1857 Sarah Adrian b1859 Johann Adrian b1860 died in Russia Johann Adrian b1865 Benjamin Peter Adrian b1868 Elizabeth Adrian b1876 Isaak Adrian b 1871 Peter P Adrian b1850 moved to Kansas where there are many descendants. Heinrich Peter b 1854 married Helena Wiebe and moved to Canada. She died in Canada and Heinrich later moved to California. There are many descendants still in Saskatchewan. Johann (John) b 1865 moved to Minnesota and was the ancestor of the many Adrians in southern Minnesota. Benjamin Peter Adrian b1868 moved to California. Jacob P Adrian b1857 stayed in South Dakota and married Maria Loewen. Their children were: Jacob J Adrian b1881 Cornelius Adrian b1883 Mary Adrian b1885 Peter Adrian b1888 Margareta Adrian b1891 Sara Adrian b1895 Peter J Adrian b1899 Isaac Adrian b 1901 The Adrians from southeast South Dakota are all descended from Jacob P and Peter J. There is another branch of Adrians that moved to southeast South Dakota from the Molotschna Colonies as well. Heinrich Adrian b1851 is well known in the Mennonite Brethren Church and also documented in Robert Guenthers book Passionate Possessions of Faith. He descended from Heinrich Adrian b1822 and Heinrich Jacob Adrian b1779. My dad's great aunt always said, The Adrians from Parker (South Dakota) were not related. Obviously with the similar immigration from Prussia, moving to the same Molotschna Colonies, immigrating to the same area of the U.S. at about the same time and intermarriage with the same surnames, I suspect that the two lines are related back in Prussia, but have not been able to put that together. With the many names of Loewen and Frey in the family tree, I would welcome correspondence concerning those family lines as well. I look forward to exchanging further information. Bart Adrian [email protected] <http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/a/d/r/Barton-W-Adrian/index.html>