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The short answer
Ariella is a modern English feminine name that Behind the Name defines as the "strictly feminine form of Ariel". Ariel itself, according to Behind the Name's Ariel entry, means "lion of God" in Hebrew, from אֲרִי (ʾari) "lion" and אֵל (ʾel) "God". Ariella is pronounced ar-ee-EL-ə or air-ee-EL-ə. The -ella ending removes the ambiguity of Ariel, which Behind the Name notes "became more common for females in the 1980s" in English after Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989). Arielle is the French form and Ariel the Hebrew original. In the United States Ariella ranked #174 for girls in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Ariella as the "strictly feminine form of Ariel", with roots ʾari + ʾel. Its Ariel entry supplies the gloss: the name "means 'lion of God' in Hebrew", and in the Old Testament it is used as another name for the city of Jerusalem. Ariella's usage is labelled "English (Modern)"; listed variants are Ariel and Arielle, and other-language forms are Arielle (French) and Ariel (Hebrew).
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew | אֲרִי (ʾari) | lion |
| Hebrew | אֵל (ʾel) | God |
| Hebrew | Ariel | lion of God |
Popularity
Ariella ranked #174 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Behind the Name gives no popularity history for Ariella itself; its Ariel entry notes that Ariel became more common for females in English from the 1980s, especially after The Little Mermaid (1989).
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #174 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
What the name feels like
Ariella pairs a biblical root with the currently fashionable -ella ending, so it sits comfortably beside Isabella, Gabriella and Arabella while keeping a clear Hebrew meaning. It feels feminine and melodic, and the lion-of-God meaning gives it more weight than its soft sound suggests.
Style tags: four syllables, Hebrew root, -ella ending, modern usage, biblical
Editorial interpretation: These style impressions are editorial judgment, not linguistic fact. Behind the Name lists no diminutives for Ariella; Ari is a natural short form but not a documented one.
If you like this name
Names that share Ariella's Hebrew origin, its -ella ending or its sound.
Similar by origin
Similar by sound
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ariella mean?
Ariella is the feminine form of Ariel, which means "lion of God" in Hebrew, from ʾari ("lion") and ʾel ("God"), according to Behind the Name.
Is Ariella a popular name?
Ariella ranked #174 for girls in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
What is the difference between Ariel, Arielle and Ariella?
Behind the Name treats Ariel as the Hebrew original (used for both sexes in English), Arielle as the French form and Ariella as a strictly feminine, modern English form.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Ariella — supports derivation from Ariel, pronunciation, variants, usage label.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Ariel — supports Hebrew meaning "lion of God", root elements, 1980s feminine usage note.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
