Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Ariana

Ariana is a simple spelling variant of the more popular Arianna. The names are an Italian form of the Greek Ariadne which, in turn, is derived from the Greek words “ari” (most) and “adnos” (holy). Ariadne was the mythological daughter of King Minos, and the demi-goddess who helped Theseus out of the Minotaur’s labyrinth. According to Greek legend, King Minos attacked Athens to avenge his son who was killed there. In an ancient peace treaty of sorts, the Athenians were required to sacrifice seven young men and maidens to the Minotaur every nine years (the Minotaur was a formidable creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man). Theseus was one of the Athenian men chosen as a sacrifice to the Minotaur. However, Ariadne had fallen in love with the young man and so gave Theseus a magical sword to kill the Minotaur and she spun him a ball of red yarn so he could find his way out of the maze. Afterwards, Theseus promised to marry Ariadne and they fled to the island of Naxos; however, that night, following the instructions of Athena, Theseus abandoned poor Ariadne as she slept. Dionysus (the god of wine and ecstasy) took pity on the girl as he heard her yell in vain for Theseus and so married her himself (we have to assume she had more fun with Dionysus). Despite this rather colorful story of the Greek mythological damsel in distress, the name Ariadne actually owes its popularity to a 2nd century saint whose legend and cult grew during the Middle Ages. She was a slave-girl in a Phrygian royal household (modern day Turkey). She ran away after refusing to take part in pagan rites, ending up on a hillside which opened miraculously, presenting her with her own tomb. Etymologists believe that the name Ariadne comes from an ancient Cretan dialect from the elements “ari” (which is an intensive prefix meaning “most”) coupled with “adnos” meaning “holy” giving the name’s full meaning: “very holy”. In other words, not just a little bit holy, but VERY holy. Catch our drift? The Romans got the name Ariadne from the Greeks and Latinized it to Arianna. Today Arianna (with two “n”s) is quite popular in Italy (a top 25 favorite) but she’s also a Top 50 in the United States and Canada. The names Ariana or Aryana have also been in use in the Muslim world since the 15th century.

All About the Baby Name – Ariana

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME ARIANA

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME ARIANA

Ariana with one “n” was the first of the “Ariana” names to appear on the U.S. popularity charts. It made its debut in 1978 and was for a long time the most popular spelling variant of the name. The “two-n” version, Arianna, surpassed Ariana’s usage only very recently in 2006. The other spellings of the name (i.e., Aryanna and Aryana) are much less popular. With all four spelling variations of essentially the same name, Ariana is a far more popular name today than its individual positions on the charts might suggest. In fact, she’s one of only five names that replicate themselves on America’s Top 100 list (the others being Sophia/Sofia/Sophie, Chloe/Khloe, Aubrey/Aubree and Zoë/Zoey). Arian(n)a’s light and airy femininity is probably what attracts most parents.

Quick Facts

ON ARIANA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

4

RANKING POPULARITY:

54

PRONUNCIATION:

ah-ree-AH-na

SIMPLE MEANING:

VERY holy

Characteristics

OF ARIANA

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Ariana

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ARIANA

We have not found any significant literary references for Ariana (see other spelling variants).

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ARIANA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Ariana


Popular Songs

ON ARIANA

Ariana
a song by Alphaville

Famous People

NAMED ARIANA

Ariana Richards (actress/painter)
Ariana Grande (actress/singer)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ARIANA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Ariana

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ARIANA

We have not found any significant historical figures named Ariana.