Unisex name · Hebrew
Ari
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: a lionAri is a gender-neutral name that comes from Hebrew and means "a lion". It is used in Hebrew and English.
- Meaning
- A lion
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #614 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ari
As a boy's name, Ari comes from Hebrew and means "a lion". It is used in Hebrew and English.
As a gender-neutral name, Ari comes from Hebrew and means "a lion". It is used in Hebrew and English.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Ari on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ari on 3 lists.
“A lion; Hebrew, used for boys and girls”
From Gender neutral names, short gender-neutral names
“Short for arachnid, simple and friendly”
From Spider names, good spider names
“A lion; Hebrew, short and strong”
From Unique boy names, short unique boy names
How popular is Ari?
In 2025, 476 girls and 808 boys in the US were named Ari.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #614
- 476 babies, 296 per million girls
- Best rank
- #434 in 2022
- 722 babies that year
- Babies since 1961
- At least 7,662
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 6 per million |
| 1980s | 9 per million |
| 1990s | 13 per million |
| 2000s | 41 per million |
| 2010s | 154 per million |
| 2020s | 383 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #967 | #803 | #719 | #600 | #482 | #476 | #434 | #462 | #535 | #614 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #393
- 808 babies, 473 per million boys
- Best rank
- #328 in 2022
- 1,030 babies that year
- Babies since 1958
- At least 20,592
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 24 per million |
| 1970s | 76 per million |
| 1980s | 69 per million |
| 1990s | 86 per million |
| 2000s | 172 per million |
| 2010s | 378 per million |
| 2020s | 518 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #418 | #398 | #374 | #371 | #392 | #343 | #328 | #342 | #399 | #393 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Ari
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- ArielLion of God (Hebrew, boy)
Names spelled like Ari
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AliHigh, exalted (Arabic, boy)
- AdiJewel, ornament (Hebrew, unisex)
- AkiSecond and hope, written 亜希 (Japanese, girl)
- AoiHollyhock; blue (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- AraElegant silk (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- ArgiLight (Basque, boy)
- AriaFrom the Italian word aria, song, melody; literally air (Italian, girl)
- ArinElegant jade luster (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- ArtBear (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
Middle names for Ari
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
Ari: common questions
What does the name Ari mean?
Ari comes from Hebrew and means "a lion". It also has another origin: the same meaning in another language. Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Ari a boy or girl name?
Ari is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 476 girls and 808 boys in the US were named Ari, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Ari come from?
Ari comes from Hebrew and means "a lion". Today it is used in Hebrew and English.
How popular is the name Ari?
Ari ranked #614 in the US in 2025, with 476 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Ari?
Forms of Ari with the same meaning and origin include Ariel (Hebrew).
What middle names go with Ari?
Middle names that flow well with Ari include Elizabeth, Felicity, Fenella, Mercy and Reuben. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.