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.
- #445 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #355 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 78,697
- born since 1892
- 1990s
- peak decade
Yes -- Ariel is the #355 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 #355 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.
- #445 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #355 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 78,697 born since 1892
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ariel ranks #445 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #355 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 78,697 born since 1892, peaking in the 1990s.
- #445 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #355 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 78,697
- born since 1892
- 1990s
- peak decade
Ariel's 78,697 recorded births place it above 99.38% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Ariel compares
78,697 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,297 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 209x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ariel | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 78,697 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 5,411 | 21 | 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 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
1990s is the heaviest window (28,142 births, 36% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Ariel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ariel most popular? ▼
Where is Ariel most popular? ▼
Is Ariel a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Ariel been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ariel? ▼
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
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
Compare Ariel side by side: Ariel vs Ariana Ariel vs Arianna Ariel vs Aria
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ariel
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ariel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1991)
Similar record span (~133 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.