Given name & surname
Ari
“resembling a lion or an eagle”
Ari is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “resembling a lion or an eagle.”
Original Hebrewארי
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “resembling a lion or an eagle.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In English usage, Ari is a diminutive of Ariel. In English usage, Ari is a diminutive of Ariana.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1958. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Finnish use, Ari is a nickname for Aaron. The history of Aaron gives this family its wider story. In Exodus, Aaron speaks on Moses’s behalf and becomes the first high priest of the Israelites. The naming tradition also includes the Hebrew form Aharon and the Yiddish familiar form Arke.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Ari appears in 1 Kings 4:19.
From biblical name research
Ari through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 28,254
- 20,592 boys · 7,662 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 1,752 babies
- 2025
- 1,284
- #393 for boys · #614 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +23%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 62% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 808 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 393 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 12.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 476 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (124). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 21,038 as a first name in 2020; 336 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ari’s family of names
In Finnish usage, Ari is a nickname for Aaron. In Finnish usage, Ari shares a linguistic root with the English form Adrian. Ari has a related form in Ariel.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ari has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
18 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 23
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 15
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 11
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Aresshares a root
- Artemisshares a root
- Arelishares a root
- Ariadnaalso known as · Czech
- Artemasshares a root
- Aristobulusshares a root
- Aristarchusshares a root
- Aretasshares a root
Show 3 moreShow fewer
People named Ari
- Ari Freyr SkúlasonIcelandic footballerborn 1987
- Ari ThorgilssonIcelandic writer1067–1148
- Ari BehnNorwegian author (1972–2019)
- Ari Vatanenpolitician and rally driver, Member of the European Parliament, winner of the 1981 World Rally Championship for Driversborn 1952
- Ari AsterAmerican film director and screenwriterborn 1986
- LauvAmerican musicianborn 1994
- Ari ÓlafssonIcelandic singerborn 1998
- Ari FolmanIsraeli film director, screenwriter, animator and film score composer (b. 1962)
- Ari GraynorAmerican actressborn 1983
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ari, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Yael
“having the strength of God” · “strength of God”
65% boys · 35% girls
Yona
“dove” · “resembling a dove”
62% boys · 38% girls
Jael
“resembling a mountain goat”
49% boys · 51% girls
Shiloh
“one who is peaceful; abundant” · “he who was sent”
42% boys · 58% girls
Rahil
“the innocent lamb” · “ewe”
41% boys · 59% girls
Salem
“one who is at peace”
38% boys · 62% girls
Elisha
“God is my salvation”
74% boys · 26% girls
Micaiah
“who is like (Yahweh)?”
73% boys · 27% girls