What does ariel mean?
Ariel is a proper noun with several distinct referents united by a shared origin. Its oldest sense is biblical: a Hebrew name meaning 'lion of God,' applied to Jerusalem in Isaiah. Its most famous bearer is the airy spirit in Shakespeare's The Tempest, a graceful servant of Prospero whose songs are among the most quoted lines in English drama. Astronomers borrowed the name in 1851 for the brightest of Uranus's five major moons, and it remains a popular unisex given name across many cultures. In older natural-history writing, 'ariel' also denoted a small, swift Arabian gazelle admired for its leaping gait. Because every sense is a proper noun, the word is always capitalized and carries no ordinary adjective or verb forms. Its literary associations lend it connotations of lightness, music, and freedom.
nounAriel is primarily a proper noun: the name of a spirit of the air in Shakespeare's The Tempest, one of the moons of Uranus, and a common given name. It can also refer to a gazelle of Arabia and North Africa prized for its swiftness.
- The spirit of the air who serves Prospero in Shakespeare's The Tempest.
- One of the major moons of Uranus, discovered in 1851.
- A male or female given name, from Hebrew meaning 'lion of God'.
- A swift Arabian and North African gazelle, also called the red gazelle or kevel.
"In The Tempest, Ariel serves Prospero faithfully and longs for his freedom."
"Ariel sings the enchanted song that leads Ferdinand to Prospero."
"Voyager 2 revealed that Ariel has the brightest surface of Uranus's moons."
Rarely pluralized since it is a proper noun; a plural would only occur informally when referring to multiple people named Ariel.
"Three ariels were listed on the class roster."
Shakespeare's airy sprite Ariel inspired everything from a Uranian moon to a Disney mermaid — all from a Hebrew name meaning 'lion of God.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ariel
Ariel comes from Hebrew 'ari'el', meaning 'lion of God,' formed from 'ari' (lion) and 'El' (God); it appears in the Hebrew Bible as a symbolic name for Jerusalem. The name entered English through biblical translation and was popularized in literature by Shakespeare's spirit in The Tempest (c. 1611). It is unrelated etymologically to Latin 'aer' (air), despite the airy character's association with the sky. Cognate forms appear in other Semitic-influenced names such as Uriel and Azrael.
How ariel is actually used
Almost always used as a proper noun; it is capitalized. As a given name it is unisex, more common for boys historically but now widely used for girls as well.
Easily confused with ariel
'Aerial' is an adjective meaning relating to the air or an antenna, while 'Ariel' is a proper noun naming a character, moon, or person.