Ariel

♀ Girl

Pronounced AIR-ee-el /ˈɛər.i.ɛl/High

Meaning: From Hebrew Ariel, composed of 'ari' (lion) and 'El' (God), meaning 'lion of God'. In the Bible, Ariel is used as a name for Jerusalem and appears as a spirit in Shakespeare's The Tempest.High

In 30 seconds: Ariel means 'lion of God' in Hebrew and has served as a name for Jerusalem, a Shakespearean air spirit, and Disney's beloved Little Mermaid — one of the most culturally layered names in English.

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Origin HighHebrew

MeaningFrom Hebrew Ariel, composed of 'ari' (lion) and 'El' (God), meaning 'lion of God'. In the Bible, Ariel is used as a name for Jerusalem and appears as a spirit in Shakespeare's The Tempest.

U.S. rank (2025)#356 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births851 girls (0.05% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1991

Total births (all-time)≈ 78,674

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Ariel is Hebrew, composed of ari (lion) and El (God), meaning 'lion of God'. In the Hebrew Bible, Ariel appears in Isaiah 29 as a poetic name for Jerusalem. In Shakespeare's The Tempest (1611), Ariel is an airy spirit who serves the sorcerer Prospero. In the Romantic tradition, Ariel was used as a poetic metaphor for the creative spirit.

Ariel was historically used for both boys and girls, but the 1989 Disney film The Little Mermaid — in which the red-haired mermaid princess Ariel is the lead character — transformed it into a predominantly feminine name in the United States. It entered the US top 50 girls' names shortly after the film's release and has maintained a top-100 presence since. Today Ariel is almost exclusively used for girls in America.

Did you know? Ariel appears in three completely separate famous works: the Hebrew Bible (as a poetic name for Jerusalem), Shakespeare's The Tempest (1611, as a magical air spirit), and Sylvia Plath's poetry collection Ariel (1965) — giving it perhaps the deepest literary pedigree of any name that also belongs to a Disney princess.

Overall data confidence 93%

Strong's Hebrew Concordance — Hebrew composition of Ariel (ari + El)Social Security Administration Name Data — US popularity spike after 1989 Disney film

Variations

ArielleAriellaArial

Nicknames

AriAria

Famous Bearers

★Ariel (The Little Mermaid, fictional) (1989)
Disney princess and star of The Little Mermaid, whose popularity transformed Ariel into a top American girls' name.

If you like Ariel…

Aurora— three-syllable Disney princess name with the same luminous, mythological feel

Aria— three-syllable name with the same musical quality and Disney/fantasy cultural associations

Isabelle— three-syllable princess-associated name with the same classic, slightly royal fairy-tale quality

Frequently Asked

What does the name Ariel mean?

Ariel means 'lion of God', from Hebrew ari (lion) and El (God). It also appears as a name for Jerusalem in the Bible.

How do you pronounce Ariel?

Ariel is pronounced AIR-ee-el (/ˈɛər.i.ɛl/), three syllables with stress on the first.

Is Ariel a boy or girl name?

Ariel was historically unisex but is now predominantly a girl's name in the US, driven by the 1989 Disney film The Little Mermaid.

How popular is Ariel?

Ariel has been in the US top 100 girls' names since 1989 and remains in the top 150 today.