Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Ariel

The name Ariel is actually borne from the Bible as a place name [Isaiah 29:1-2]. “Ah, Ariel, Ariel, / the city where David encamped! / Add year to year; / let the feasts run there round. / Yet I will distress Ariel, / and there shall be moaning and lamentation, / and she shall be to me like an Ariel.” Most etymological sources translate Ariel into the Hebrew word for “Lion of God” or “hero.” It is also sometimes said to mean “alter hearth” which would make sense given the Biblical importance of this place name. Ariel originated as a male given name in the Jewish community, with Ariella being a feminine form of the name. Arielle became the French and English version. Today, Ariel is widely used among English-speakers and it has predominantly become a female name in the United States, although it is still considered unisex.

All About the Baby Name – Ariel

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ARIEL

The number Nine personality represents the completion or ending of the cycle, and a need for perfection. This is the personality that moves from "self" to a greater understanding and compassion for the human condition and the world order. They want to make the world a better place. Nines are capable of great spiritual and humanitarian achievements. They are courageous and fearless, able to fight great battles on behalf of worthy causes. These personalities will not tolerate injustice. They are compassionate people with a strong sensitivity to others. They are able to both educate and inspire. Friendships and relationships are the lifeblood to the Nine, and they place a high value on love and affection. Nines are often exceptionally gifted artistically, and they have a keen imagination and enterprising mind.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ARIEL

The name Ariel does not show up on the female naming charts in America until 1978 (as a male name, it debuted on the charts in 1967). For females, the name took off pretty quickly, rising over 600 positions on the charts between 1980 and 1983. It’s not quite clear what influenced Ariel’s sudden popularity in the early 1980s. It’s clear, however, that the late 1980s brought another burst of usage thanks in part to Disney’s The Little Mermaid, herself named Ariel. For three brief years, the name Ariel was even a Top 100 favorite, but the Disney-inspired trend would be brief. For the most part, Ariel has been going backwards on the charts since the early 1990s. Today, it is no longer a Top 200 favorite. For little boys, Ariel has been on the naming charts consistently since 1967. In 1982, Ariel for girls surpassed Ariel for boys and has been more popular ever since. Ariel for little boys remains in low usage, and primarily restricted to the Jewish community (think Ari as a nickname; like the character from Entourage). Ariel is a name with many shapes and forms. It’s a favorite among Jews thanks to its Biblical roots and Hebrew etymology; it’s a literary name thanks to Shakespeare’s character in The Tempest; it’s a boy’s name and it’s a girl’s name; it’s a Disney character and it’s a princess name. This name appeals to many parents and for often very different reasons. Ariel is an easy, breezy name; almost wistful.

Quick Facts

ON ARIEL

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Hebrew

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

758

PRONUNCIATION:

AHR-ee-әl

SIMPLE MEANING:

Lion of God

Characteristics

OF ARIEL

Multi-talented

Intuitive

Oneness

Idealistic

Philanthropy

Independent

Perfection

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Ariel

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ARIEL

Ariel is the protagonist of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid”, altered and popularized by the very successful Walt Disney 1989 animated film of the same name, along with a television series, a Broadway adaptation and innumerable marketing derivatives. A red haired, blue eyed and green tailed enchantress, Ariel is a role model for little girls the world over, who see her kindness, adventurous nature and her sense of curiosity as highly positive traits. Ariel falls in love with a human, Prince Eric, whom she rescues from drowning, but this love is fraught with danger due to the ban against people of the sea mixing with people of the earth. After numerous obstacles are overcome, Ariel is allowed to become human by virtue of her father’s magic trident, and she leaves the sea to marry Prince Eric, her true love.

Ariel is the spirit seer and chief of the “Sylphs – the army of deities assigned to protect the beautiful Belinda in Alexander Pope’s mock-epic poem, first written in 1712, “The Rape of the Lock”. Satirizing the out-of-proportion importance that his society placed on social mores and manners, the poem brilliantly evokes the aura of early mythology in making its point. The Sylphs were once coquettes in human form, hence, they are especially suited to guarding Belinda against the horrors of losing her lapdog, or missing an engagement, or – (pray not!) – having her ringlets cut off by a male admirer. To such outsized concerns, Ariel brings the appropriate attentions, and warns Belinda about the dangers of her “earthly” thoughts and dreams. One caveat – Ariel is powerless if Belinda is unchaste – that’s a tough gig. We’ll leave it to you to read the poem and find out how the day is won.

Ariel is the sprite who attends to Prospero, the Duke of Milan, in William Shakespeare’s 1610/11 play, The Tempest. (Although the gender of Ariel has been open to interpretation, we are calling her a girl.) Ariel is a kind, energetic and independent spirit, with a multitude of white magic tricks up her airy sleeve, who protects her master with cunning and affection. Although she longs for her freedom, Ariel ministers to Prospero in good fashion, and eventually wins that freedom, along with the satisfaction of having contributed to Prospero’s own transformation from a power-driven seeker of vengeance to a compassionate forgiver of his enemies.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ARIEL

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Ariel


Popular Songs

ON ARIEL

Ariel Sings
a song by Steve Kilbey

Ariel
a song by Dean Friedman

Famous People

NAMED ARIEL

Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen (American writer and activist)
Ariel Durant (historian)
Ariel Levy (journalist)
Ariel Meredith (model)
Ariel Ramírez (composer)
Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen (American writer and activist)
Ariel Durant (historian)
Ariel Levy (journalist)
Ariel Meredith (model)
Ariel Ramírez (composer)
Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen (American writer and activist)
Ariel Durant (historian)
Ariel Levy (journalist)
Ariel Meredith (model)
Ariel Ramírez (composer)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ARIEL

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ARIEL

Ariel Sharon was a highly esteemed general in the Israeli Army, its Defense Minister, Foreign Minister and the 11th Prime Minister of the State of Israel, at whose birth in 1948 he was present. Acknowledged to be the greatest field commander in the State’s thus short history, Ariel Sharon participated in, among others, the 1948 War of Independence, the Arab-Israeli (Suez) War of 1956, the Six Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur War 1973 and the 1982 war with Lebanon. So popular was he with the people, he was dubbed the “King of Israel”, a moniker biblically reserved for Sauls, Davids and Solomons. While a political conservative for most of his days, Sharon split with his original Likud party in later years and supported the withdrawal of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, a move many attributed to basic pragmatism rather than to humanitarian motives. He oversaw an unprecedented growth in real estate development and Jewish immigration to Israel during his reign. Ariel Sharon was Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006, at which time he suffered a debilitating stroke. After living for eight years in a coma, he died in 2014.

Ariel Sharon was a highly esteemed general in the Israeli Army, its Defense Minister, Foreign Minister and the 11th Prime Minister of the State of Israel, at whose birth in 1948 he was present. Acknowledged to be the greatest field commander in the State’s thus short history, Ariel Sharon participated in, among others, the 1948 War of Independence, the Arab-Israeli (Suez) War of 1956, the Six Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur War 1973 and the 1982 war with Lebanon. So popular was he with the people, he was dubbed the “King of Israel”, a moniker biblically reserved for Sauls, Davids and Solomons. While a political conservative for most of his days, Sharon split with his original Likud party in later years and supported the withdrawal of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, a move many attributed to basic pragmatism rather than to humanitarian motives. He oversaw an unprecedented growth in real estate development and Jewish immigration to Israel during his reign. Ariel Sharon was Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006, at which time he suffered a debilitating stroke. After living for eight years in a coma, he died in 2014.

Ariel Sharon was a highly esteemed general in the Israeli Army, its Defense Minister, Foreign Minister and the 11th Prime Minister of the State of Israel, at whose birth in 1948 he was present. Acknowledged to be the greatest field commander in the State’s thus short history, Ariel Sharon participated in, among others, the 1948 War of Independence, the Arab-Israeli (Suez) War of 1956, the Six Day War in 1967, the Yom Kippur War 1973 and the 1982 war with Lebanon. So popular was he with the people, he was dubbed the “King of Israel”, a moniker biblically reserved for Sauls, Davids and Solomons. While a political conservative for most of his days, Sharon split with his original Likud party in later years and supported the withdrawal of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, a move many attributed to basic pragmatism rather than to humanitarian motives. He oversaw an unprecedented growth in real estate development and Jewish immigration to Israel during his reign. Ariel Sharon was Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006, at which time he suffered a debilitating stroke. After living for eight years in a coma, he died in 2014.