How to say it
a · ri · EL · la
/ˌɛr.iˈɛl.ə/
Feminine
Ariella
Lioness of God
What it means
Italian-feminine elaboration of the Hebrew Ariel ('lion of God'). Same root as Ariel and Arielle. Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989) gave the underlying Ariel mass English-language recognition; Ariella is the longer Italian feminine form.
Ariella is an Italian-feminine elaboration of the Hebrew Ariel (Ari'el, 'lion of God,' from ari 'lion' + el 'God'). Ariel appears in the Hebrew Bible as both a place name (a poetic name for Jerusalem in Isaiah 29) and a personal name. The English-language feminine adoption is largely due to Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989). Ariella adds the diminutive-feminine -a ending common in Italian and Romance languages. As a US given name Ariella is modern: rare before 2010, climbing since. It entered the US top 500 in 2020. Common short: Aria or Ella.
Popularity over time
peaked at #154 in 2020, currently #174 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
- Pronunciation
ar-ee-EL-uh, four syllables, stress on the third.
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.
- Ariel (The Little Mermaid) Disney's 1989 mermaid princess (the underlying Hebrew name)
Spelling variants
- Arielle
- Ariel
- Ariella
Names with the same feeling
See Ariella from another angle
By meaning
By style