girl's name
Ariana
ar-ee-AH-nuh
- Origin Greek
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 134,581
the United States
#128
2025 births
Ariana is a girl's name of Greek origin, from Ariadne — the Cretan princess who gave Theseus the thread to escape the labyrinth. The name is usually read as "most holy," from ari, very, and adnos, holy.
- Ariana is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 2014, when 5,514 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,494 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1957.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Ariana over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1950s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 154 |
| 1970s | 788 |
| 1980s | 4,732 |
| 1990s | 18,913 |
| 2000s | 38,073 |
| 2010s | 41,374 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 16,541 |
What Ariana means
Ariana is generally translated as most holy or utterly pure, from Greek elements meaning very and holy. A separate line derives it from Ariana, the ancient Greek name for a region of Persia, which would make it a place name instead.
Where Ariana comes from
Ariana is the Italian and Spanish form of Ariadne, from the Greek Ariadne, usually analyzed as ari, an intensifying prefix, plus adnos, holy — giving most holy. In myth Ariadne is the daughter of King Minos who gives Theseus a thread to find his way out of the labyrinth, is abandoned by him on Naxos, and is then taken up by Dionysus. A distinct line derives Ariana from the Greek name for Ariana, a region covering parts of modern Iran and Afghanistan, which is why some sources describe it as Persian. Both readings circulate.
Ariana in use
Ariadne's thread — the technique of retracing a path to solve a maze — is named after her and still used as a term in logic and computing.
How popular is Ariana?
In 2025, Ariana was given to 2,219 babies in the United States, ranking #128 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Ariana is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ariana
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ariana also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ariana over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ariana
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ariana in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ariana
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ariana — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ariana
What does the name Ariana mean?
Ariana is usually read as "most holy," from the Greek Ariadne.
Who was Ariadne?
The Cretan princess who gave Theseus the thread to escape the labyrinth.
Is Ariana a Persian name?
One line derives it from Ariana, the Greek name for a region of ancient Persia, though the Greek Ariadne is the more common reading.
How popular is the name Ariana?
In 2025, Ariana was given to 2,219 babies in the United States, ranking #128 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Ariana a girl's or a boy's name?
Ariana is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ariana?
Ariana has 4 syllables.
When was Ariana most popular?
Ariana peaked in 2014, when 5,514 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ariana?
Ariana is usually shortened to Ari.
Is Ariana a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ariana currently ranks #128 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.