Given name
Ariadne
“holy”
Ariadne is the mythological name behind the thread that guides Theseus out of the Labyrinth. Its traditional interpretation points toward holiness, while its later survival also owes something to an early Christian saint of the same name.
Original Ancient GreekἈριάδνη
Meaning & origin
What it means
An ancient explanation combines an intensifying ari- with adnos, “holy,” suggesting an emphatic sense of holiness. This is a historical interpretation of the name, not a derivation that can be treated as beyond dispute.
Where it comes from
Ariadne comes from the Greek mythological tradition of Crete. The name belonged to a daughter of King Minos and later also to a Phrygian Christian martyr.
How it developed
Greek scholars of the Hellenistic period explained the name through Cretan dialect elements ari- and adnos. French Arianne and Italian Arianna are recorded later forms of the name.
The story
In the myth, Ariadne gives Theseus a ball of wool so he can retrace his way through the Labyrinth after killing the Minotaur. She leaves Crete with him, but he abandons her on Naxos. The name also continued in Christian use through Saint Ariadne, an early martyr in Phrygia.
Ariadne through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,824
- 0 boys · 4,824 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 389 babies
- 2025
- 115
- #1,758 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −37%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 115 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,758 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 37.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 389 in 2016. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (30). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,062 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ariadne’s family of names
Ariadne has a later derivative in Arianna. In German usage, Ariadne has a related form in Adriana. In German usage, Ariadne has a related form in Ariana.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ariadne has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
Ancient Greekwhere Ariadne comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Arianavariant · German
- Adrianavariant · German
- Ariadnavariant · Latin, Polish
- Ariannevariant · English
- Arianevariant · German
- Ariadnnelikely variant
- Aryannevariant · English
- Adrianevariant · German
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ariadne
- AriadneByzantine empress as the wife of Zeno and Anastasius I452–515
- Ariadne DíazMexican actress and modelborn 1986
- Ariadne von SchirachGerman writerborn 1978
- Ariadne ArtilesSpanish model (1982-)
Characters named Ariadne: Ariadne Oliver (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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