Ariel

I can see this name being used for both genders, but I think it's a bit more boyish. I have a female friend named Ariel, but she's quite tomboyish so the name suits her perfectly! I think it's a great, strong name.

I don’t know, but I really prefer the name Ariel for boys. It has a strong, masculine sound, and its epic meaning adds to its appeal. The nicknames Ari and Arik are also fantastic!

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That said, I don’t mind it being used for girls either—just as long as it’s not always associated with the Little Mermaid. Personally, I think Ariella is even more beautiful for girls! ✨.

I like Ariel for boys more than girls and Arielle/Ariella for girls, they’re both super cute tho.

Ariel has been used as a feminine name long before Little Mermaid. It just got popular as a feminine name with Little Mermaid.
It's a beautiful name and can be used for either male or female - a unisex name.
It seems crazy to me, how people are still arguing in 2024 about neutral gender names. Charlie, Frankie, Logan, Taylor… I could literally go on forever…
I would name my daughter Ariel. I could also see it on a boy.

I really don’t get why people are rating this name as feminine. In my opinion, it’s a great name for a boy and I just couldn’t see it on a girl.

I can see it for both genders but I much prefer it for boys.

I actually kinda like this name but it's not my favorite. I don't really know why, but it is really just not a calming name, which is the kind of girl names I like. It makes me think of a girl who is always happy and excited. In other words, hyper. Like the one kid at a birthday party who is all over the place, or just invites themselves to a party. But on the good side, it's a happy name and if an Ariel walks in, the room will fill up with excitement!

Only for boys. Ariella is better for girls.
Ariel is perfect for boys.

Lol if James, Logan and even Evan are acceptable for girls so why can not Ariel be a boy's name huh?
Of course it was originally a boyish name before that red hair drama mermaid. 😅😂
So yeah I guess people just get used to it. Ariel is not strange for boys just because one character has it. Many names nowadays are unisex.

I love lions, brave and strong animals. I have an autoimmune disease and pregnancy was not possible for me (not easily). My pregnancy was a gift to me, it was decided that if it was a boy, it would be Ariel and if it was a girl, it would be Ariella.
Now I have a healthy, strong and brave son like a lion.
I chose Ariel because of its pronunciation and meaning.
His middle name is Leon, which means lion too. So far, no one has asked why I used the Little Mermaid's or a girl's name, because despite the internet, many people know the history, meaning, and gender of the name. My Ariel also loves the sea and wants to be a fireman or a policeman. The little one is very brave.

Love it for boys! Personally I hate the Little Mermaid because of her character (Belle, Tiana and Merida are better).
I know it's known as a girl's name but I freaking love it for my son and I pronounce his name AH_Ree_El. With the nicknames Ari or Arik.
One of his teacher's calls him Arael (sounds wired huh)
But I love his name, it has a strong meaning and I love Shakespeare's world so why not!

I like this name for a girl or a boy. Arielle is just a bit too much for me. Wow what did I say to piss people off so much?

Well this is my name.
Being a male with the name Ariel is not the worst or bad really. I never get teased because of my name and many of my classmates even say wow! Don’t roar lion boy 😅
My nicknames are Ari or Arik.
We have Morgan, Taylor, Avery and even Riley in our school and all are boys and they never get bullied (just get mistaken as girls, but it’s ok ) We have a Tommie who’s a girl too so nowadays many names are unisex and people are getting used to them and accepting them. Most parents are looking for a good meaning name, doesn’t matter the gender (of course, still many names are better for a boys / girls name only )
I love my name, don’t care about the little mermaid (I like mermaids in general), I love lions and don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed. Let’s just restore the humanity.🤝.

I love Ariel for boy. Prefer Arielle or Ariella for girls.
Ari can be great for the nickname.
Nowadays people get used to names like Ariel.
It's originally a boy's name and I wonder why Disney didn't choose Arielle for its character.
Ariel can be perfect for boys and men. Do what you want ♡.

I love this name for boys! It's originally a boy name before the mermaid character.
The nickname Ari is perfect. I personally prefer Ariella or Arielle for girls but Ariel is really a good choice for boys.

Girls only, please.

Kind of sounds like cereal to me.

This is my sister's name and she was not named after the Little Mermaid, she was born before that movie came out. She was named after a song my mother liked growing up called Ariel which really isn't any better. My mom despises the Little Mermaid. Naming your daughter Ariel she will be teased being called the Little Mermaid. My sister was teased for it. The name boosted in popularity the years following the release of the Little Mermaid.
It was rather rare where we are from, in fact my sister didn't meet another Ariel until high school.
Ariel is still a nice lovely name if you can get past the mermaid association, I had no idea this name was considered a guy's name until I was an adult.

I've just discovered that "Ariel" is a male name too (I heard it only in The Little Mermaid before, I'm Italian and I've never met someone called Ariel here. We have Ariele, but it's not actually used), but the more I think about it, the more I like it on a boy. It's so angelic, so powerful but delicate, so unique.
I'm surely going to use it on a male character.

I love the name Ariel on a man! It’s very masculine like other angelic names. I like the variation Arielle or Ariella on girls, but Ariel on a girl sounds a little rough.

Hello,
My name is Ariel and I am a male. Growing up in the US I didn’t know there was a movie about a mermaid name Ariel. Once I grew older I found out about the movie and realized why people were pronouncing my name a certain way. I later told my peers to pronounce it the way I wanted just so I could feel comfortable which was (R-E-L) (say those letters together and you now know how I pronounce my name). I now attend high school and haven’t had one person tease my about my name and I've managed to be in two relationships. So yeah, not really something to be shy about. I am proud to be named Ariel.

Only like it on boys, nickname Ari. I like the ah-ree-EL pronunciation best.

Love the name, mainly on boys though.

It seems very masculine with the sound and look, but is now supposedly feminine thanks to Disney. I like it on a boy. Arielle is stunning for a girl, though.

Right now my girlfriend's name is Ariel, and she's (I wanna say the word but I need to keep it PG) BEAUTIFULLLL and as for her username it's (I don't know) lion of god, and I wondered why but now I don't, thanks to this website.

Sounds angelic, I like it.

I have known a lot of Ariels. Every one were Jewish.

Another beautiful HEBREW name, don't confuse it with some other origin.
Ari = lio, El = God so Ariel means Gods lion in Hebrew.

While I don’t mind the association with the Little Mermaid, she wasn’t a great character and I wouldn’t name my girl after her. There’s better princess namesakes like Mulan, Belle or Tiana. Because of that, Ariel works better for a boy in my opinion. Arielle I would use for a hit though.

My name is Ariel and I am a man. In Latin countries including the Philippines, it is a common name for boys but it is pronounced differently, with the emphasis on the second syllable unlike the English version. It only became a girl's name thanks to Disney who gave it to the Little Mermaid. I think originally it is Hebrew and I love its meaning.

Makes a great name. Ariel is strong, masculine and rugged.

I love this name, so flowery sounding. The meaning is super cool too!

Both the Disney mermaid and the British laundry powder make this name very watery. Can be a little nauseating that way, but it's still a beautiful name.

Well, I see it as a unisex name, but like it better for a girl. Of course, some prefer it for a boy name or girl name, but I don't see the need to get all touchy about it. Now, I like this name, but I hate the association with The Little Mermaid. I find Ariel in that movie to be incredibly annoying. So I'd probably use Ariela.

I think this is a boy's name with a strong meaning and rich history. In cultures such as Spanish and Romanian the ending "-EL" translates to "HE". When it comes to English I believe it closely resembles Gabriel, Daniel, Samuel which are distinctly masculine. It's strange how the mermaid got this male sounding name. The female form should be Arielle or Ariela.

I do not like this name for a female, because of The Little Mermaid, of course.

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In Penny Dreadful, Vanessa Ives names her taxidermy hawk Ariel, after the Shakespearian play The Tempest. I thought it was cool here.

My grandfather's name was Ariel Norman. He always had "Earl" on his work shirts because people had a tough time pronouncing it. Doesn't seem like it should be so tough. He was a great man, miss him terribly!

Girl or boy name. I too am open minded like so many of you. But I did notice that there are also some people who are firmly on the side of girls vs boys. I grew up with the Little Mermaid being as important as this generation's Frozen. Ariel is still a big favourite among little girls even today, and in Western culture we tend to associate this name with the Disney character, the spirit from the Tempest, and a UK brand of washing detergent! Ariel, Arielle or Ariella? When seen together like this, the latter two do look more feminine to me. But on the other hand, the Tempest was written by Shakespeare and he chose this name for a sexually ambiguous character. Male or female. With the gender equality and changes progressing now, what is the difference really, and does the gender of a name even exist. Andie and Andy. Charlie and Charley. Blake. Riley. Avery. James and Jaymes to Jamesina. Let's stay open minded people! :-)

My daughter's name is Ariel, but spelled Arielle. I spelled it this way because of the masculine association with Ariel. I think Ariel can be both a boy & girl name, like Taylor or Alex. I love this name, I love saying it & it is not too common. If you love the name I say use it on either a boy or girl :)

My first born has this name only I didn't want it to be like all the rest. It is spelled Aryel. Female. And I actually got the name from the movie Footloose (the original with Kevin Bacon). I saw it when I was 11 years old, fell in love with the name and said I would name my daughter Aryel... just what I did!

If I may interrupt people who comment here, I think it is a girl name, not a boy's. It would be ridiculous to make it a boy name (sorry about this) but if you have a good reason for this, you should comment on it. If you remember Little Mermaid, Ariel is more common and better for a girl. Otherwise, I like this name because The Little Mermaid character made it good. I love it, because it's sensational.

It'll always be "The Little Mermaid," of course, but that's as positive an association as any! It's a perfectly beautiful, lyrical, mellifluous name, and I've always loved it. :) For girls, that is. I know that it can be used on boys; I just have a really hard time seeing it as fitting in those instances.

There is no doubt that origins are extremely important, however the usage of names change just like the usage of language- that is what makes them beautiful. Just because this name is a traditionally biblical male name doesn't mean a person can't make it their own, twist it around to their desire. There is nothing wrong with shaking things up a bit. There are also no set of rules to genders unless you enforce them upon yourself.
That being said I think this name is very suitable for any gender, whether you name the little one after the famous mermaid, or the Shakespearean character, or whatever else suits your fancy.

Ariel is an amazing name with an amazing meaning. I would use it for a girl. It's so cute, friendly & sweet sounding.

I have a male friend with this name and I just can't see it on a girl. I prefer Arielle on a girl.

Well, My name is Arielle, pronounced Air-Ree-Al and my fathers name is Ariel, pronounced U-Rel, or Air-ree-el. I think it's a beautiful name and I definitely get sweet compliments on it. And the meaning only adds to it's beauty.

I named my son Ariel after finding it in a baby name book in the boy section. I also am a huge fan of Shakespeare. I think it is a truly unique and wonderful name. Sadly, my son was bullied over "The Little Mermaid" connotation. As a teen, he now takes pride in the name and people compliment him on it all the time.

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I would say to those considering naming their son Ariel in the USA or Canada, bear in mind children are conditioned to pop culture and can be quite cruel. I still think it's a wonderful name but it's not easy to see your child bullied.

Really, I don't mind that this name has become unisex. It sounds hot on a guy, gorgeous on a girl, and I don't even mind that Disney used it for The Little Mermaid, because I have a theory on why they used it. It could be a pun name, stemming from Aria, meaning song. After all, she has a wonderful voice, and a daughter named Melody, too.

I personally can't stand this name, because of 2 reasons: 1. The little mermaid, I hate the main character whose name is Ariel and 2. A girl who used to bully me in school.

Nice name. It's fine for both a male and female name. I can't be decisive on which gender it's better suited for.

Beautiful. I've only ever known of women named Ariel.

Thanks to The Little Mermaid, I've long considered this to be solely a girl's name, even though I know it isn't. Over the past several years, though, it's really been growing on me as a boy's name. It's totally hot.

I adore this name, but only for a boy. It's extremely handsome and masculine. It pains me to hear it on girls.

My daughters are named Rachel and Ariel. Both names I have always loved for their beautiful meanings and how they sound. I first heard the name Ariel in Shakespeare's play the Tempest and then in the film Footloose (both long before a pretty mermaid with the same name). It is beautiful, meaningful and suits my daughter perfectly.

Sounds as manly as Samuel, Nathaniel or Raphael to me. Funny how mermaids from films can make people give their daughters male names. I guess I should just be glad that Ariel isn't as mangled as Madison, but a girl named Ariel is still the same thing to me as a girl named Christopher or Timothy.

Been called Ariel ruined my life. When I first went to kindergarten, all my partners mocked me because they said I had a girl's name and called me mermaid, and still today, they sometimes still call me like that.

I love this name, mainly for a girl. I could also see this working well on a boy, but not in the US because of the Little Mermaid connotation.

Definitely a boys' name. This doesn't sound feminine at all.

As I like The Little Mermaid, I'll always see Ariel as a girls name. I like it pronounced 'AIR - EE - EL'. But if it is pronounced 'ARE - EE - El' that could work on a boy.

I love this name for a boy, but not for a girl. I want my first son to be named Ariel.

Ariel for a boy, and Arielle for a girl. The added 'le' just makes it more feminine. It's a great name for either sex and has a strong meaning.

It's a beautiful name and I agree with those who say the mermaid isn't and shouldn't deter anyone from using it. It's pronounced AR-EE-el especially on a guy. Ariel/Arielle Er-ee-el is pretty too but only for a girl. In the English speaking parts that does make sense.

The fact that Shakespeare uses this name in his play is very awesome and plus he (Shakespeare) was very romantic. So it's had its spotlight apart from the mermaid. :)

Ariel has such a pretty sound to it. The teenage daughter in the tv series Medium is named Ariel and everytime I hear her name it just sounds beautiful.

It's a nice name, but I don't know whether it would be very appropriate for naming a child these days.

I am fortunate enough to have Ariel as my middle name, although it is spelled incorrectly on my birth certificate (Araiel). I would agree that is definitely a masculine name, especially when you take its meaning and history into consideration. I'm very proud of my name, and no mermaid is going to stop me from using it.

Beautiful and meaningful name for my new baby girl.

I can't get the image of the little mermaid out of my head whenever I hear this name.

Sounds pretty and feminine and love its biblical roots. Ariel is also the name of a woman in the new movie, "Starting Out in the Evening." It's feminine sounding and beautiful.

I love this name, but only for a boy. My sister's name is Arielle and I don't mind that spelling on a girl (but I perfer Ariella), but to me Ariel is all male.

I think this name is beautiful. Lovely and feminine. I'm going to give it to my daughter. I think it's such a gorgeous name for a girl.

Love the name Ariel - which I find is the only correct way of spelling it. It's such a beautiful name for all ages. Elegant, classic, sweet and strong. My daughter is going to be called Ariel. It's not a common name in Denmark and you would only give it to a girl. In Denmark we pronounce the name Ar-ee-el.

Although it is the name of the little mermaid, I think for a girl there's nothing wrong with that. She's a very feminine and fun character. :) Although, I think if you were a boy, it would be more annoying to be associated with someone who wears shells as underwear and talks all day to a bright orange crab.

This is my name, and I think it's a beautiful name. I get compliments on it all the time -- even when I'm playing video games on my PS2. My only problem is that no one knows how to pronounce or spell it. Other than that, it's a great name.

This is one of my favourite names for a boy. I think it's rather strong sounding, especially when you know the meaning.

My name is Ariel, and I know people from both genders with the name. My dad really loved this name, so I ended up with it, but I actually do like it.
People tend to associate it with the Little Mermaid of course. There's rarely a place where SOMEONE doesn't comment about it. Actually, my parents are more aware of it as a spirit in Shakespeare's The Tempest. I was really glad to see that in the description of the name.

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I think it's a beautiful name for either gender, and I prefer it over Arielle or Ariella.

I didn't know that this name could be for boys until I met a second cousin once removed of mine and found out that it is his middle name. I don't think that parents should give it to boys though because they would be teased. A little boy called a little mermaid would not be a happy one. I do like the meaning though.

I can tell you that I have met multiple men named Ariel, many named before the movie came out and some named afterwards. I have never heard of any of them being teased at all because of the movie.

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I'm actually annoyed that some people could be so ignorant as to let a Disney movie turn a Biblically male name female.

I think it's a pretty name.

No offence, but it is like the car Ariel.

I love the name Ariel. It's so pretty and refreshing. Not many people have the name. I actually like this spelling better for a girl than "Arielle".

One of my best friends is named Ariel, and unfortunately for her it always reminds people of the Little Mermaid. I happen to love this name. It's beautiful and classy.

I think Ariel is really pretty. However I like the name Ariella better! It's absolutley gorgeous! Then if your daughter prefers Ariel better that can be her nickname! I'm giving birth to a girl in 2 months and I'm going to name her Ariella!

I really like this name as a male name, too bad the little mermaid gave it a feminine connotation. Another cool fact is that you have a girl's name with an anagram of Ariel: Leira.

Ariel is one of my middle names. I think it is pretty and I like that it can be male or female. I resent the implication that I was named after The Little Mermaid, however.

My name is spelled Ariell not Arielle and I am a female so I resent that remark.

I absolutely love the name Ariel. Its gorgeous! I grew up watching the Little Mermaid and have loved the name ever since. I plan on naming my first daugheter Ariel.

I find that other spelling, Arielle is more feminine. I love the meaning for this name and the fact is a more original name. Pronouncing this name may be a difficulty though.

It's a beautiful name! It's unique, unusual and Shakespearean! I pronounce it AR-EE-EL.

Thank you to the person who put the proper pronunciation of the name Ariel. People are always saying my name wrong.

Ariel is my all-time favorite name, winsome, ethereal and exquisite.

This is a beautiful and unusual name. You'll probably not meet more than 2 or 3 Ariels in your life.