Arial
Arial was the 11040th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 8 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 1997th with 69 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 6,299 places. More babies were named Arial in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Ariel) lion of God · Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #11,040 girls, up 163 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 199169 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,197babies recorded
What does the name Arial mean?
Arial is a spelling of Ariel, pronounced the same way, so it shares Ariel's meaning and origin.
Ariel is Hebrew, usually read as ari, "lion", plus el, "God". In the Bible it is a man's name (Ezra 8:16) and a poetic name for Jerusalem (Isaiah 29:1). Shakespeare used it for the spirit in The Tempest, and Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989) made it popular for girls in the US. In Israel it remains mainly a boy's name.
אֲרִיאֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “lion of God”)אֲרִי (Biblical Hebrew, “lion”)
How sure is this? Probable. 'Lion of God' is the standard reading; in Isaiah the word may also mean an altar hearth.
Related names: Arielle, Ari, Ariela.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ariel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Hebrew Bible / Tanakh, Ezra 8.16, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- Hebrew Bible / Tanakh, Isaiah 29.1, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
Arial popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,040 | 8 |
| 2020 | #11,203 | 8 |
| 2010 | #4,117 | 36 |
| 2000 | #3,173 | 43 |
| 1990 | #2,603 | 45 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Arial, counting every spelling?
Arial is a spelling of Ariel, a name family that ranked #229 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #11,040 for Arial on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,500 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ariel | 851 | #356 | 5,648 |
| Arielle | 618 | #486 | 3,632 |
| Aerial | 7 | #11,963 | 58 |
| Ariell | 11 | #8,931 | 52 |
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 Arial?
8 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Arial (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Arial 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 1,057 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Arial.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Arial?
About 1,200 people born in the US named Arial are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 18 and 32. That makes Arial 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.
Arial by state
How common Arial was among girls born in each state in 1989–1993, around its peak. In 48 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Arial: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Arial, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Arial
What does Arial mean?
Arial is a spelling of Ariel, which means “lion of God” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Arial?
Arial was the 11040th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 8 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 1997th with 69 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 6,299 places. More babies were named Arial in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Arial a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Arial in the US.
Where was Arial most popular?
In 1989–1993, Arial was most common in Texas (0.02 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Illinois.