girl's name
Ariella
ar-ee-EL-la
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 27,458
the United States
#174
2025 births
Ariella is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "lion of God." It is the feminine of Ariel, from ari, lion, and el, God — and in the Bible Ariel is a name for Jerusalem, not a person.
- Ariella is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2020, when 1,802 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,888 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1967.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Ariella over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1960s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 13 |
| 1970s | 145 |
| 1980s | 452 |
| 1990s | 1,220 |
| 2000s | 2,021 |
| 2010s | 8,443 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 10,082 |
What Ariella means
Ariella means lioness of God, or God's lion. The Hebrew ari is specifically a lion, and el is God, so the name claims divine strength rather than describing the bearer.
Where Ariella comes from
Ariella is a modern feminine elaboration of the Hebrew Ariel — ari, lion, and el, God. In Isaiah, Ariel is a poetic name for Jerusalem itself, and in some later traditions it names an angel. Shakespeare used Ariel for the air spirit in The Tempest, which is where the English-speaking world first met it, and Disney's 1989 Little Mermaid made it overwhelmingly female in America. Ariella and Ariel are separate entries in our data, and the -ella ending is a recent addition with no Hebrew basis.
Ariella in use
Our data shows Ariella peaking in 2020 and still rising, and it first appears in our records in 1967. It sits alongside Ariel, Arielle and Ariah — a cluster sharing an opening rather than a single origin, which is the same pattern our Alani and Ayra entries describe.
How popular is Ariella?
In 2025, Ariella was given to 1,756 babies in the United States, ranking #174 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Ariella 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 Ariella
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ariella also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ariella over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Ariella
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.
Ariella 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 Ariella
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ariella — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ariella
What does the name Ariella mean?
Ariella means "lion of God," from the Hebrew ari, lion, and el, God.
Is Ariel a girl's or boy's name?
In Hebrew it is male, and Shakespeare's Ariel is an air spirit. Disney's 1989 film made it overwhelmingly female in English.
What is Ariel in the Bible?
A poetic name for Jerusalem in Isaiah, rather than a person.
How popular is the name Ariella?
In 2025, Ariella was given to 1,756 babies in the United States, ranking #174 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Ariella?
Ariella has 4 syllables.
When was Ariella most popular?
Ariella peaked in 2020, when 1,802 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ariella?
Ariella is usually shortened to Ari, Ella and Ariel.
Is Ariella a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ariella currently ranks #150 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.