Ariel

אֲרִיאֵל

• Gender: Unisex
• Origin: Biblical / Rabbinic Hebrew
• Meaning: lion of God

• Ariel means "lion of God" and appears in the Hebrew Bible as a poetic name for Jerusalem itself. The prophet Isaiah invoked it to capture the holy city's strength and divine protection, giving this name a spiritual pedigree that is hard to match. Beyond scripture, Ariel has traveled remarkably far — from Shakespeare's ethereal sprite in "The Tempest" to a certain beloved Disney mermaid — proving its ability to transcend any single context.

  This is one of the most successful crossover names in the Jewish naming world, working beautifully for any gender and in virtually any language. It has a bright, aspirational sound that never feels dated. A name that can claim both the prophet Isaiah and a Shakespearean spirit as references has earned its place as a perennial powerhouse.

• Alternate Spellings: Ariel, Arielle
• Potential Sibling Name:
  Maya
  ,
  Danielle
  ,
  Samuel
  ,
  Adam
• Theme: animals