The first name Ariel
A unisex name from Hebrew meaning “lion”, “god”, “lion of god”.
Pronounced /ˈɛɹiəl/ 3 syllables Unisex
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Ariel means “lion”, “god”, “lion of god” in Hebrew.
From Biblical Hebrew אֲרִיאֵל (ari'él, a compound of אֲרִי (arí, “lion”) + אֵל (él, “God”), literally “lion of God”). * (moon of Uranus): All of Uranus’s moons are named after characters created by William Shakespeare or Alexander Pope. The names of all four satellites of Uranus then known were suggested by John Herschel in 1852 at the request of William Lassell, though it is uncertain if Herschel devised the names, or if Lassell did so and then sought Herschel’s permission. Ariel is the name of the leading sylph in Pope’s The Rape of the Lock and also the spirit who serves Prospero in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
More names that mean god, lion.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 37 girls were named Ariel, making it the 951st most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2020, with 52 births (#710).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ariel with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ariel at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 851 girls born in the United States were named Ariel, the 356th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1991, when 5,411 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Ariel in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Ariel in Finnish and Portuguese too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Ariel
61 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ariel OrtegaArgentine footballer, born 1974
- Ariel WinterAmerican actress, born 1998
- Baby ArielAmerican social media personality, born 2000
- Ariel IbagazaArgentine association football player, born 1976
- Ariel GarcéArgentine association football player, born 1979
- Ariel RamírezArgentine composer, pianist and music director (1921–2010)
- Ariel DorfmanChilean writer, born 1942
- Ariel PinkAmerican musician, singer, and songwriter (born 1978)
- Ariel HernándezBoxer, born 1972
- Ariel GadeAmerican actress, born 1996
- Ariel AtkinsAmerican basketball player (born 1996)
- Ariel Francisco RodríguezCosta Rican footballer, born 1989
More Hebrew unisex names
Questions
- What does the name Ariel mean?
- Ariel means “lion”, “god”, “lion of god” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Ariel?
- From Biblical Hebrew אֲרִיאֵל (ari'él, a compound of אֲרִי (arí, “lion”) + אֵל (él, “God”), literally “lion of God”). * (moon of Uranus): All of Uranus’s moons are named after characters created by William Shakespeare or Alexander Pope. The names of all four satellites of Uranus then known were…
- How popular is the name Ariel?
- In 2025, 37 girls born in England and Wales were named Ariel, ranking 951st. Its peak was 2020, with 52 births.
- What are nicknames for Ariel?
- Common nicknames for Ariel include Ari.
- Is Ariel a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 100,665 US babies named Ariel since 1880, 78% were girls and 22% boys.
- When was Ariel most popular?
- 1991 in the United States, when 5,411 babies were named Ariel, its highest rank at 66th.
- How do you pronounce Ariel?
- Ariel is /ˈɛɹiəl/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Ariel?
- Arielle.