Ariyeh
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "lion".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Ariyeh. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ariyeh today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ariyeh births was 2014 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ariyeh. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ariyeh. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2014
6 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#10,812
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Ariyeh: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ariyeh by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ariyeh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ariyeh
The name Ariyeh is derived from the Hebrew language and has its roots in ancient Semitic cultures of the Middle East. It is a masculine name that means "lion" or "lionlike" in Hebrew. The name is closely related to the Hebrew word "ari" which directly translates to "lion."
One of the earliest known references to the name Ariyeh can be found in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Genesis. Here, the name is mentioned as a descriptive term for the tribe of Judah, likening them to a lion. This biblical reference highlights the association of the name with strength, courage, and leadership.
In the Middle Ages, the name Ariyeh gained popularity among Jewish communities across Europe and the Middle East. One notable bearer of the name was Ariyeh ben Elijah Kaplan (1598-1670), a prominent Talmudic scholar and Kabbalist from Krakow, Poland.
During the Renaissance period, the name Ariyeh continued to be used within Jewish communities, particularly in Italy. One famous bearer was Ariyeh di Modena (1571-1648), a renowned rabbi, scholar, and writer from the city of Modena.
In the 19th century, the name Ariyeh gained popularity among Zionist Jews who embraced Hebrew names as part of the revival of the Hebrew language and culture. One notable figure was Ariyeh Leib Bernstein (1892-1944), a Zionist activist and member of the Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah in British Mandate Palestine.
Another significant bearer of the name was Ariyeh Dulitzky (1923-2005), an Israeli soldier and officer who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and served as the IDF's Chief Intelligence Officer during the Six-Day War in 1967.
Throughout history, the name Ariyeh has been associated with strength, leadership, and courage, reflecting its origins as a name connected to the king of beasts, the lion. Its use has been primarily within Jewish communities, though its meaning and symbolism have resonated across cultures and time periods.
People
Ariyeh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ariyeh as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ariyeh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ariyeh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ariyeh going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Ariyeh a common name?
We classify Ariyeh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ariyeh most popular?
The single biggest year for Ariyeh was 2014, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ariyeh is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ariyeh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ariyeh a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ariyeh in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ariyeh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ariyeh in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ariyeh can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Ariyeh?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.