Ariella
Ariella was the 174th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,756 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 154th with 1,802 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 226 places. More babies were named Ariella in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning lion of God (feminine of Ariel) · Hebrew
Say it ar-ee-EL-uh /ˌɑriˈɛlə/
- Rank in 2025
- #174 girls, down 20 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,756girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20201,802 babies
- Total since 1880
- 22,376babies recorded
What does the name Ariella mean?
Ariella is the feminine form of Ariel, as Wiktionary and Wikipedia note. Ariel is a Hebrew name made of ari, 'lion', and El, 'God', so 'lion of God'; in the Bible it is also a poetic name for Jerusalem. Wiktionary notes that English literature also gives the name Ariel to spirits and angels. Ariela is an alternative spelling, and Ari and Ella are short forms.
אֲרִיאֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “Ariel, lion of God”)אֲרִי (Biblical Hebrew, “lion”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ariel, Ariela, Arielle, Ari, Ella.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ariella', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ariel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Ariella', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Ariella
The usual nicknames for Ariella are Ari and Ella. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Ariella in the last five years, 369 were named Ella, against 3661 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ari · also for Ariana, Ariel | Modern | #614 | 3,092 |
| Ella · also for Gabriella, Luella | Modern | #29 | 30,548 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ariellas go by each one.
Ariella popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 2022.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #174 | 1,756 |
| 2020 | #154 | 1,802 |
| 2010 | #728 | 385 |
| 2000 | #1,506 | 122 |
| 1990 | #1,237 | 134 |
| 1980 | #2,869 | 31 |
| 1970 | #4,510 | 12 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ariella, counting every spelling?
Ariella is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #180 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #174 for Ariella on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,952 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ariella | 1,756 | #174 | 8,275 |
| Ariela | 177 | #1,263 | 894 |
| Ariellah | 11 | #8,932 | 102 |
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 Ariella?
1,756 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ariella (0.49 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ariella 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 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ariella.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ariella?
About 22,200 people born in the US named Ariella are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 13. That makes Ariella a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Ariella by state
How common Ariella was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (4.6×), Rhode Island (3.6×), Connecticut (2.1×), New Jersey (1.8×), Arizona (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Montana, Maine.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ariella: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ariella, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ariella · Sibling names for Ariella
Questions about the name Ariella
What does Ariella mean?
Ariella means “lion of God (feminine of Ariel)” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ariella?
Ariella was the 174th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,756 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 154th with 1,802 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 226 places. More babies were named Ariella in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Ariella a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ariella in the US.
Where is Ariella most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ariella was most common in New Mexico (4.65 per 1,000 girls), followed by Rhode Island and Connecticut.