Ari
Ari was the 393rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 808 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 328th with 1,030 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 9 places. More babies were named Ari in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning lion (Hebrew); also a short form · Hebrew, Old Norse
Say it AR-ee /ˈɑri/
- Rank in 2025
- #393 boys, down 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 808boys
- Girls and boys
- 40% girls, 60% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20221,030 babies
- Total since 1880
- 28,254babies recorded
What does the name Ari mean?
Ari has several sources. As a Jewish name it is Hebrew ari, "lion", a variant of Aryeh, and Wiktionary compares Yiddish Leib and English Leo. In Old Norse Ari was a man's name related to the word for eagle, which Yonge's 1884 index also records. In current US use it is also a short form of Ariana, Ariel or Aria for girls.
אֲרִי (Biblical Hebrew, “lion”)ari (Old Norse, “eagle”)
How sure is this? Well established. Two separate sources plus use as a short form.
Related names: Aryeh, Ariel, Arie, Ariana.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ari', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Charlotte M. Yonge, History of Christian Names, new ed. (1884), index s.v. 'Ari' (19th-century work; used for dated usage facts only), Macmillan (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- Hebrew Bible / Tanakh, Ezra 8.16, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Ari popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #614 | #393 | 476 | 808 |
| 2020 | #482 | #392 | 635 | 787 |
| 2010 | #1,613 | #500 | 134 | 517 |
| 2000 | #4,665 | #789 | 25 | 207 |
| 1990 | #4,389 | #859 | 22 | 141 |
| 1980 | #4,989 | #720 | 14 | 147 |
| 1970 | #7,118 | #742 | 6 | 123 |
| 1960 | — | #1,401 | — | 32 |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Ari, counting every spelling?
Ari is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #397 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #393 for Ari on its own. Together these spellings went to 821 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ari | 808 | #393 | 4,576 |
| Aari | 13 | #6,447 | 53 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ari?
808 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ari (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ari born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ari.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ari?
About 20,100 people born in the US named Ari are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 6 and 23. That makes Ari mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ari by state
How common Ari was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (5.9×), New York (2.5×), Oregon (2.1×), New Jersey (2.1×), Massachusetts (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Idaho, West Virginia, Alabama.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ari: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ari, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ari · Sibling names for Ari
Ari is also a nickname for Ariana, Ariella and Ariel.
Questions about the name Ari
What does Ari mean?
Ari means “lion (Hebrew); also a short form” (Hebrew, Old Norse origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ari?
Ari was the 393rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 808 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 328th with 1,030 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 9 places. More babies were named Ari in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Ari a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 40% girls, 60% boys given the name Ari in the US.
Where is Ari most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ari was most common in District of Columbia (3.12 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Oregon.