Total births
78,697
Unisex name · since 1892
Ariel
Since 1892, U.S. Social Security records show 78,697 babies named Ariel, peaking in 1991. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #300
- among girls today
- 78,697
- born since 1892
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Ariel is the #300 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 78,697 recorded since 1892.
Social Security Administration records show Ariel recorded 78,697 times among girls since 1892, holding rank #300 nationally today, ahead of 98% of girls, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1892 to 2025.
- #300 among girls today
- 78,697 born since 1892
- 1990s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ariel is currently the #300 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 78,697 born since 1892, peaking in the 1990s.
- #300
- among girls today
- 78,697
- born since 1892
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Ariel vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#300
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Ariel was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
5,411 babies were named Ariel in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
How Ariel compares
78,697 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ariel's all-time total is 206x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ariel | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 78,697 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,411 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ariel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ariel's full recorded timeline at 1965, 99% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 1% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1892, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1991 peak of 5,411 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ariel at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1991
Current rank
#300
Active since
1892
Ariel popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1892–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 5,411
- Annual births at peak, across 134 years of records
Ariel popularity over time - boys
21,968 total births recorded since 1913 (Ariel as boys' name)
Ariel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Ariel's strongest decade.
28,142 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Ariel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 15
1890s
15 births
- 1900s 52
1900s
52 births
- 1910s 156
1910s
156 births
- 1920s 129
1920s
129 births
- 1930s 83
1930s
83 births
- 1940s 86
1940s
86 births
- 1950s 63
1950s
63 births
- 1960s 139
1960s
139 births
- 1970s 717
1970s
717 births
- 1980s 6,353
1980s
6,353 births
- 1990s
1990s
28,142 births
- 2000s
2000s
16,265 births
- 2010s
2010s
19,377 births
- 2020s 7,120
2020s
7,120 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 28,142 births (36% of all-time use).
How Ariel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ariel's total volume
Ariel vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ariel by state
Where Ariel concentrates geographically, total births since 1892
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 11,856 | 15.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 8,921 | 11.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 5,136 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 4,439 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 3,498 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 2,763 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 2,408 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 2,311 | 2.9% |
California share of Ariel's total US births 15.1%
Even split
11,856 of 78,697 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ariel appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ariel? ▼
Ariel has been given to 78,697 babies in the U.S. since 1892, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #300 as of the latest data. 5,411 babies were born in 1991, its single highest year.
When was Ariel most popular? ▼
Ariel was most popular in the 1990s decade with 28,142 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Ariel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ariel are California (11,856 births), Texas (8,921 births), New York (5,136 births).
Is Ariel a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Ariel is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 78,697 births, and as a boy's name it has 21,968 births.
How long has the name Ariel been used? ▼
Ariel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1892, spanning 134 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ariel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ariana, Arianna, Aria, Arielle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ariel's data
- Ariel's decade-level peak was the 1990s (28,142 total births); usage has since declined to 7,120 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Ariels (11,856 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ariel
Nearby Names Like Ariel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ariel
Ariana Girl
#102 120,380 births
Arianna Girl
#196 104,152 births
Aria Girl
#26 95,674 births
Arielle Girl
#499 30,870 births
Ariella Girl
#195 22,371 births
Compare Ariel side by side: Ariel vs Ariana Ariel vs Arianna Ariel vs Aria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ariel
Maggie #299
123,078 births · Peak 2007
Rosemary #301
163,165 births · Peak 1947
Gabriela #298
86,182 births · Peak 2003
Ryleigh #302
35,139 births · Peak 2019
Sawyer #297
18,338 births · Peak 2018
Tessa #303
55,926 births · Peak 2007
Amari #296
21,288 births · Peak 2024
Evelynn #304
16,064 births · Peak 2019
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1892–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ariel: #300 Unisex Name - 78,697 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ariel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ariel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.