Fun Facts About the Name Arial
- More than 1 thousand babies named Arial: U.S. records list 1,197 babies given the name Arial from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Arial Mean?
Arial is an English respelling of the Hebrew name Ariel (אֲרִיאֵל). The usual explanation of Ariel is "lion of God," from the Hebrew elements ari, "lion," and el, "God." A second explanation connects the word to the altar hearth of the Jerusalem temple, which would give a sense closer to "hearth of God," and the biblical passages do not settle which idea lies behind it. The spelling Arial is not a Hebrew form; it belongs to English use, where it is generally treated as an alternate spelling of Ariel and given the same meaning. Because the personal name is uncommon, its meaning is usually repeated from Ariel rather than documented separately.
Arial Name History & Origins
Ariel is an ancient Hebrew name. In Isaiah 29:1 - 2 it is a poetic name for Jerusalem; in 2 Samuel 23:20 and 1 Chronicles 11:22 the same consonants are read either as the name of a Moabite man or as the phrase "lion-like men of Moab," depending on the translation; in Ezra 8:16 Ariel is one of the leading men Ezra sent to gather temple servants; and in Ezekiel 43:15 - 16 the word refers to the altar hearth. In Hebrew the stress falls on the last syllable: ah-ree-EL.
Ariel also has a long separate life in English writing. Shakespeare's The Tempest, written about 1610 - 1611, gives the name to an airy spirit who serves Prospero, and Alexander Pope used Ariel in The Rape of the Lock (1712) as the guardian spirit of a young woman. Shakespeare did not invent the name; he took up an existing biblical word.
Arial itself is a rare spelling. Its vowels differ from those of the more familiar Ariel and Arielle, and it appears chiefly in English-speaking countries. The spelling is best known today from typography: Monotype released a sans-serif typeface called Arial, drawn by Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders, in 1982. That typeface belongs to printing history rather than to naming tradition, and the two uses of the word are separate.
How Popular is the Name Arial?
Arial has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1991. Its best rank was #1,997 in 1991.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,040 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #12,365 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #11,243 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #11,197 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #6,733 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2018 | #9,217 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #8,341 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #6,432 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2015 | #4,740 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2014 | #4,187 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2013 | #6,276 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #6,139 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2011 | #6,884 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2010 | #4,116 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2009 | #5,106 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2008 | #4,902 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2007 | #4,693 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2006 | #3,137 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 2005 | #3,881 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 2004 | #3,570 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2003 | #3,476 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2002 | #2,501 | 63 | 0.0035% |
| 2001 | #3,011 | 47 | 0.0026% |
| 2000 | #3,173 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1999 | #3,102 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 1998 | #2,760 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 1997 | #2,516 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 1996 | #2,721 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 1995 | #3,155 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 1994 | #4,126 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1993 | #3,353 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1992 | #3,093 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 1991 | #1,997 | 69 | 0.0037% |
| 1990 | #2,603 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 1989 | #5,858 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #6,307 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #5,087 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1986 | #5,777 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #5,381 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1984 | #6,332 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #4,900 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #8,291 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #10,525 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Arial Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Arial's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Arial's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.