Ariel

Meaning and origin

Ariel means “lion of God” in Hebrew, combining ari, “lion,” with el, “God.” It has a long history as a masculine Hebrew name and is also used for girls, especially in English-speaking settings. Its biblical roots sit alongside unusually rich connections with literature, astronomy, and film.

In the Old Testament, Ariel appears as another name for Jerusalem. The Hebrew meaning remains the foundation of the personal name, even though later writers gave it to characters very different from a lion.

The name is used across several languages, including Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, and Polish. Those traditions give the same spelling different sounds and patterns of use, with both masculine and feminine histories contributing to its modern identity.

Pronunciation and related forms

English pronunciations include AIR-ee-uhl and ARR-ee-uhl, usually with three syllables and the stress at the beginning. Hebrew pronunciation places the emphasis at the end, approximately ah-ree-EL. French and Spanish versions have their own more compressed rhythms.

Arielle and Ariella are related feminine forms in English, and Arielle is also a French feminine form. Arik is an established Hebrew familiar form. Ariel itself remains a complete name shared across masculine and feminine use.

Ariel in literature

Shakespeare gave the name to the spirit serving Prospero in The Tempest. Ariel carries out magical tasks on the island, helping bring Prospero’s enemies under his control. The spirit’s desire for freedom is an important thread in their relationship.

At the play’s end, Prospero releases Ariel from service. The character gives the name an association with movement, magic, and the theater that is separate from its original Hebrew meaning.

Alexander Pope also used Ariel for a sylph in The Rape of the Lock. These literary appearances carried the name into the naming of a moon of Uranus, linking imagined spirits with an actual object in the solar system.

A moon and a mermaid

Astronomer William Lassell discovered the moon Ariel on October 24, 1851. John Herschel selected its name at Lassell’s request. Its namesakes belong to the literary world of Shakespeare and Pope, as with other Uranian moons named from literature.

Ariel acquired another major cultural association as the title character of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, released in 1989. The film helped make it more familiar as a feminine name in English and gave it a prominent connection with a mermaid rather than a spirit.

Popularity in the United States

Ariel’s American peak for girls came in 1991, with 5,411 births and a rank of number 66. It ranked number 137 in 2015 and number 356 in 2025.

For boys, its strongest year was also 1991, with 666 births and a rank of number 360. It ranked number 558 for boys in 2025, reflecting its continued use for both sexes.

How popular is Ariel?

In 2025, Ariel ranked #356 among girls in the United States, with 851 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1892; its largest annual count was 5,411 in 1991. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.