Fun Facts About the Name Sariel
- 143 babies named Sariel: U.S. records list 143 babies given the name Sariel from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 girls received the name Sariel - about 1 girl for every 28 boys.
What Does the Name Sariel Mean?
Sariel is a Hebrew angel name. It is usually analyzed as a compound of śar (שַׂר), "prince, chief, commander," and ʾēl (אֵל), "God," giving the sense "prince of God" or "God is my prince." Hebrew names built on ʾēl normally make a statement about God rather than describe the person who bears the name, so the two elements can be read either as a construct chain ("prince of God") or as a sentence ("God is my ruler"); the sources do not settle which was meant.
A less common explanation takes the first element from a root meaning "command" or "rule" and yields "command of God." Because the name survives mainly in lists of angels rather than in ordinary family records, neither its original vowel pattern nor the precise force of the first element can be fixed with confidence, and some reference works gloss it simply as "God's prince."
Sariel Name History & Origins
Sariel belongs to the angel lore of Second Temple Judaism. The name appears in the Book of Watchers, the oldest strand of the collection known as 1 Enoch, where Sariel is counted among the leaders of the two hundred angels who descend to earth and is credited with teaching humanity "the course of the moon," that is, knowledge of the lunar cycle. The same collection also lists the seven holy archangels (1 Enoch 20), and one name in that list is transmitted as Saraqael; because Saraqael and Sariel differ by only a letter or two, the two forms are often treated as variants of a single angel name, though the identification is not certain.
The full text of 1 Enoch survives only in Ge'ez (Classical Ethiopic), with older Aramaic fragments among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Western readers encountered Sariel only after James Bruce brought Ethiopic manuscripts of 1 Enoch to Europe in 1773; Richard Laurence published the first English translation in 1821, and the name then entered English-language writing about angels. In that later literature Sariel is sometimes counted among the archangels, but he has no place in the standard seven-archangel lists of the Western and Byzantine churches, whose names are Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jegudiel, and Barachiel (with variations).
The name remains uncommon as a personal name. It circulates mainly through retellings of the Book of Enoch, through books on angels, and through modern fantasy, where it is used for angel characters alongside other Enochic names. Names that merely look similar, such as the Finnish Sari, are unrelated.
How Popular is the Name Sariel?
Sariel 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 2025. Its best rank was #5,163 in 2025.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | #17,266 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,163 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2024 | #8,188 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #6,448 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #7,174 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #6,282 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2020 | #10,409 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #10,612 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #10,576 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #10,539 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #9,423 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #9,552 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #9,516 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #10,694 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #13,013 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #12,173 | 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 Sariel Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Sariel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sariel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.