Ariel
How to say it: AIR-ee-ul · /ˈɛriəl/
Hebrew name meaning 'lion of God'; appears in the Bible and in Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Ariel was the 239th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 1,384 babies of either sex (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1990s, its births are down about 46% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #355 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #239 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 (both sexes) | 1,384 |
| Share of births | 1 in 1,656 |
| Peak decade | 1990s |
| Change over 10 years | −46% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #355 |
| In France, 2025 | #496 among girls’ names, 125 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Well used after a high in the 1990s, Ariel now rests well below that mark. Some further easing seems ahead.
What goes with it
Flowing and soft throughout, Ariel feels smooth and adaptable across places. Asher harmonizes in style.
Middle names that flow with Ariel →
Nicknames
- Ari
Honouring a Ariel in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Ariel is about 1 in 69.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, English, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #496 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Ariel
- Ariel Sharon (1928–2014)Prime Minister of Israel from 2001 to 2006
- Ariel Ortega (born 1974)Argentine footballer
- Ariel Winter (born 1998)American actress
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Ariel is a worldwide Procter & Gamble laundry-detergent brand
- Ariel is the protagonist of Disney's The Little Mermaid
Keep exploring
About as popular as Ariel
In the same lists
Find names you'll both love, starting with Ariel
The one-minute style quiz.