How Many People Are Named Ariel?
An estimated 96,211 people in the United States have the first name Ariel. It is used for both genders, with 78.4% female. The average bearer is 24 years old, and Ariel peaked in popularity in 1991 with 6,077 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ariel as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Ariel paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
96,211
About 1 in 3,563 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Female
78.4% confidence
Average Age
24
years old
Peak Year
1991
6,077 births
Total Registered
99,253
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Ariel
Ariel is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (21.6%) and females (78.4%). Out of 99,253 total births registered, 21,430 were male and 77,823 were female.
Ariel as a male name
Ranked #511 in 2024
595 male births in 2024
Peak: 1991 (666 births)
Ariel as a female name
Ranked #299 in 2024
1,051 female births in 2024
Peak: 1991 (5,411 births)
Ariel in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 87,270 people with the first name Ariel, which placed it at #608 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Ariel was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 87,270 people with this name in that snapshot, 29.5% were male and 70.5% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 78.4% female.
Census Count
87,270
people with this name
Census Rank
#608
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
28.89
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ariel was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (38.24%). The next largest recorded groups were White (35.14%) and Black (16.59%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Ariel in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Ariel.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 38.24% | 33,375 |
| White | 35.14% | 30,670 |
| Black | 16.59% | 14,481 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 4.91% | 4,288 |
| Two or More Races | 4.39% | 3,827 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.72% | 628 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Ariel: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Ariel span from the 1890s to the 2020s, covering 14 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1990s, when 32,804 babies were registered. Ariel has declined significantly from its peak in the 1990s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Ariel by Decade
How has Ariel tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 15 | 0 | 15 | |
| 1900s | 52 | 0 | 52 | |
| 1910s | 201 | 45 | 156 | |
| 1920s | 209 | 80 | 129 | |
| 1930s | 136 | 53 | 83 | |
| 1940s | 131 | 45 | 86 | |
| 1950s | 188 | 125 | 63 | |
| 1960s | 584 | 445 | 139 | |
| 1970s | 2,197 | 1,480 | 717 | |
| 1980s | 9,329 | 2,976 | 6,353 | |
| 1990s | 32,804 | 4,662 | 28,142 | |
| 2000s | 20,760 | 4,495 | 16,265 | |
| 2010s | 23,708 | 4,341 | 19,367 | |
| 2020s | 8,939 | 2,683 | 6,256 | |
Ariel by State
Birth registrations for Ariel span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, New York. The lowest are in Wyoming, Vermont, North Dakota. On average, about 1,851 Ariels were registered per state.
Ariel + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Ariel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Ariel
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
Ariel: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ariel?
We estimate approximately 96,211 people named Ariel are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 3,563 Americans share this first name.
Is Ariel a common name?
Ariel is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 99.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 99,253 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Ariel most popular?
Ariel reached peak popularity in 1991, when 6,077 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ariel is approximately 24 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Ariel in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 87,270 people with the first name Ariel. That placed it at #608 in the published Census first-name tables, or 28.89 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Ariel was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ariel?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Ariel was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 29.5% male and 70.5% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ariel?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ariel was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (38.24%). The next largest recorded groups were White (35.14%) and Black (16.59%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Ariel a female name?
Ariel is predominantly female. 78.4% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Ariel have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Ariel peaked in 1991, and the average living bearer is about 24 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Ariel Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ariel Smith, Ariel Johnson, Ariel Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
How Many of Me