Ariel is a name derived from Biblical Hebrew אריאל ('Ari'el), used in the Hebrew Bible as a symbolic name for the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 29:1-2). The name is commonly interpreted as meaning “lion of God,” from Hebrew elements ʾari (“lion”) and ʾel (“God”). It appears in the Old Testament both as a place name and in other contexts.Etymology and OriginsThe theophoric element ‑el identifies Ariel is part of a class of names that invoke divine power, much like Ariella and Arielle, which are feminized variants. In Modern Hebrew, Ariel is predominantly a masculine name.Literary and Cultural UsageAriel entered Western literature as Shakespeare’s airy spirit in The Tempest (1611), and later as a sylph in Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock (1712). One of Uranus’s moons is named Ariel after the Shakespearean character. In the 1980s, the Disney film The Little Mermaid (1989) popularized the name for girls in English-speaking countries.Notable BearersAriel Sharon (1928–2014), former Prime Minister of Israel.Ariel Winter (born 1998), American actress.Ariel Pink (born 1978), American musician.Stefano Giovanni Ariel (born 1963), Italian footballer known as Giuliano Giannichedda, but also notable is the surname bearer Adam Ariel (born 1994), Israeli basketball player.Key FactsMeaning: “lion of God”Origin: Hebrew; biblical epithet for JerusalemType: Unisex given name (though used more for males in Hebrew, for females in English since the 1980s)Usage Regions: Hebrew-speaking, English-speaking, French, Polish, Spanish