Aryeh
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "lion".
Name Census estimates that about 3,277 living Americans carry the first name Aryeh. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Aryeh today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aryeh births was 2024 (147 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aryeh. 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.
People living today
3.3K
~ 1 in 104,594 Americans
Peak year
2024
147 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,317
Tracked since 1954
Gender
Gender distribution for Aryeh
Out of the 3,344 babies given the name Aryeh since 1880, 99.9% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Aryeh as a male name
- Ranked #1,317 in 2024
- 147 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (147 births)
Aryeh as a female name
- Ranked #16,734 in 2015
- 5 female births in 2015
- Peak: 2015 (5 births)
Popularity
Aryeh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aryeh from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,060 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Aryeh remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aryeh 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 Aryeh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aryehs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. New York, New Jersey, California recorded the most babies named Aryeh, while Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 348 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aryeh
The name Aryeh originates from the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "אֲרִי" (ari), which means "lion." The name has been in use since ancient times in the Middle East, particularly among Jewish communities.
In the Bible, the name Aryeh is not directly mentioned, but the word "ari" (lion) appears frequently, often symbolizing strength, courage, and leadership. For example, the tribe of Judah is referred to as a "lion's whelp" in Genesis 49:9, and the phrase "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" is used in reference to Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation (5:5).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aryeh dates back to the 13th century. Aryeh ben Mosheh, also known as Leo Hebraeus or Judah Abravanel, was a Jewish physician, philosopher, and translator who lived in Italy from around 1285 to 1354.
Another notable figure was Aryeh Leib ben Asher Gunzberg, a renowned Talmudic scholar and Rabbi who lived in Lithuania in the 17th century (1598-1685). He was widely respected for his expertise in Jewish law and authored several influential works.
In the 19th century, Aryeh Löb Bernstein (1708-1788) was a prominent Jewish scholar and Talmudist from Germany. He is particularly known for his commentary on the Talmud, titled "Shav Shematzah."
Aryeh Kaplan (1934-1983) was a renowned American Orthodox rabbi, author, and scholar. He played a significant role in popularizing Jewish mysticism and made numerous contributions to the study of Kabbalah and Jewish philosophy.
Aryeh Deri (born 1959) is an Israeli politician who has served as the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Negev and Galilee Development. He is also the leader of the Shas political party, which represents Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish communities in Israel.
While the name Aryeh has its roots in Hebrew and Jewish culture, it has also been adopted by people of various backgrounds and nationalities. The name's connection to the lion's strength and courage has made it a popular choice across different societies.
People
Aryeh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aryeh 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
Aryeh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aryeh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,277 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aryeh 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 104,594 US residents.
Is Aryeh a common name?
We classify Aryeh as "Rare". It ranks above 95.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,344 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aryeh most popular?
The single biggest year for Aryeh was 2024, when 147 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aryeh is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Aryeh a male name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Aryeh 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.
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.