How popular is the baby name Ariel in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Ariel.

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Popularity of the baby name Ariel


Posts that mention the name Ariel

Baby names spelled with the names of letters: Ivy (IV), Casey (KC), Ellie (LE)

A reader named Becky recently emailed me with a rather cool request:

We’re looking for a girl name that has an actual spelling and letter combinations to represent the word. For example Evie (EV) and Katie (KT). Any suggestions would be great!

Here’s a long list of (mostly female) names that can be spelled with the names of letters. Some of the letter strings don’t quite replicate the pronunciation of the corresponding name, but, even if they don’t match perfectly, they do come pretty close.

Can you guys think of any others? Let me know and I’ll add them!

Update, 2015: Here’s a baby girl named Elloebee, a phonetic spelling of the acronym LOB (“legion of boom”).

Update, Feb. 2025: Just spotted the name Effely (FLE) in an article about Cambridgeshire baby names.

Update, Apr. 2025: Here’s a college basketball player named Azzi Fudd, first name pronounced like the letters A and Z.

Update, Jul. 2025: Here’s a 19th-century baby girl from Norfolk, England, named Emdiella (MDLR).

[Latest update: Jul. 2025]

Names from animated Disney movies: Jasmine, Hiro, Perdita, Kenai

The character Perdita from the movie "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" (1961)
Perdita from “One Hundred and One Dalmatians“

Disney has put out over sixty animated feature films, and many of these films have ended up popularizing particular baby names.

The best example of this is probably Ariel, which ranked among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1990 to 1992 thanks to the success of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, which was released in November of 1989.

Here are dozens of other Disney character names that might make good baby names:

ElioElio (2025)
AshaWish (2023)
Ember, WadeElemental (2023)
Mirabel, BrunoEncanto (2021)
Luca, Alberto, GiuliaLuca (2021)
Raya, NamaariRaya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Miguel, Coco, Héctor, ImeldaCoco (2017)
Moana, MauiMoana (2016)
JudyZootopia (2016)
ArloThe Good Dinosaur (2015)
Riley, JoyInside Out (2015)
Hiro, TadashiBig Hero 6 (2014)
Anna, Elsa, KristoffFrozen (2013)
Ralph, VanellopeWreck-It Ralph (2012)
Merida, ElinorBrave (2012)
FlynnTangled (2010)
Tiana, NaveenThe Princess and the Frog (2009)
RemyRatatouille (2007)
Bob, Helen, Violet, DashiellIncredibles (2004)
Kenai, KodaBrother Bear (2003)
Nemo, DoryFinding Nemo (2003)
Lilo, NaniLilo & Stitch (2002)
Milo, KidaAtlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Kala, JaneTarzan (1999)
Mulan, ShangMulan (1998)
EsmeraldaThe Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
John, NakomaPocahontas (1995)
WoodyToy Story (1995)
Simba, NalaThe Lion King (1994)
Ali, JasmineAladdin (1992)
Belle, MauriceBeauty and the Beast (1991)
Eric, SebastianThe Little Mermaid (1989)
Oliver, JennyOliver & Company (1988)
Basil, OliviaThe Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Taran, EilonwyThe Black Cauldron (1985)
Tod, CopperThe Fox and the Hound (1981)
Bernard, Bianca, PennyThe Rescuers (1977)
Robin, Marian, JohnRobin Hood (1973)
Duchess, ThomasThe Aristocats (1970)
Arthur, MerlinThe Sword in the Stone (1963)
Anita, Roger, PerditaOne Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Aurora, Philip, Flora, FaunaSleeping Beauty (1959)
Jim, TonyLady and the Tramp (1955)
Peter, WendyPeter Pan (1953)
AliceAlice in Wonderland (1951)

Sources: List of Disney theatrical animated feature films – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Screenshot of One Hundred and One Dalmatians