How to say it
a · ri · AN · a
/ˌɑr.iˈɑn.ə/
Feminine
Ariana
Most holy
What it means
Italian and Welsh feminine form, possibly from Greek Ariadnē ('most holy,' the Cretan princess who helped Theseus escape the Minotaur's labyrinth). Ariana Grande the singer made the name globally familiar.
Ariana (and its Italian double-N spelling Arianna) descends through Latin Ariana from Greek Ariadnē ('most holy' or 'utterly pure'). In Greek myth Ariadne was the Cretan princess who fell in love with Theseus and gave him the thread that helped him escape the Minotaur's labyrinth, only to be abandoned on Naxos and rescued by Dionysus. The Italian and Welsh forms developed independently. Ariana Grande (born 1993, the singer who began on Nickelodeon's Victorious and broke out with thank u, next) gave the name decisive 21st-century English-language anchor. It entered the US top 100 in 2013 and stayed in the top 50 through her peak. Common short: Ari.
Popularity over time
peaked at #37 in 2014, currently #128 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Ariana (single N) is the dominant US spelling, anchored by Ariana Grande; Arianna (double N) is the Italian standard.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Ariana Grande American singer-actress, thank u, next and 7 rings
- Ariadne (Greek myth) Cretan princess who gave Theseus the thread to escape the Minotaur's labyrinth
Spelling variants
- Arianna
- Ariadne
Names with the same feeling
See Ariana from another angle
By meaning
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