Ariel

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Ariel is a Hebrew name meaning 'lion of God' or 'lioness of God,' traditionally used for both genders but popularized for girls by Disney's 'The Little Mermaid.' The name appears in the Bible as a poetic name for Jerusalem and has strong literary associations with Shakespeare's sprite in 'The Tempest.'

Current Popularity

#356 for girls

in the United States (2025)

Projected 2026: #397, likely #320 to #474

↗Declining

Popularity over time

189019502020
Recent years · births per year

Dashed bar: 2026 (projected): 768. How this is calculated

Yearly values
  • 2011: 1,438
  • 2012: 1,742
  • 2013: 2,140
  • 2014: 2,445
  • 2015: 2,358
  • 2016: 2,199
  • 2017: 2,076
  • 2018: 1,832
  • 2019: 1,685
  • 2020: 1,472
  • 2021: 1,351
  • 2022: 1,295
  • 2023: 1,096
  • 2024: 1,055
  • 2025: 851
  • 2026 (projected): 768

Good to Know

Common nicknames: Ari, Arry, Elle, Airie
  • •Easy to spell and pronounce in most languages
  • •Strong Disney association may influence perception
  • •Works well in both professional and casual settings
  • •Has both Hebrew biblical roots and literary history

Famous People

A

Ariel Winter

Actress, known for 'Modern Family'

A

Ariel Durant

Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author

A

Ariel Levy

Journalist and author

A

Ariel Lin

Taiwanese actress and singer

Statistics

78,697

Total births since 1880

1991

Peak year

Discovery

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