2000
#46,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 433
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Ariel
A Hebrew surname meaning "lion of God".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 636 Americans carry the last name Ariel. That puts it at #42,112 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 538,922 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ariel surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
636
1 in 538,922
Census rank
#42,112
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
555
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 555 bearers of the surname Ariel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42112th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ariel, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.2%) and Black (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ariel
The surname Ariel has its origins in ancient Hebrew, where it referred to the capital city of ancient Phoenicia, which is modern-day Lebanon. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "ariel," meaning "lion of God" or "hearth of God." It is believed that the name was initially a place name before becoming a surname.
Ariel was a prominent city in ancient Phoenicia and was mentioned in the Bible, particularly in the Book of Isaiah. The city was known for its wealth and economic power, as it was a major center of trade and commerce in the region.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ariel date back to the 13th century in Spain, where it was likely adopted by Sephardic Jews. During this time, many Jews were forced to convert to Christianity or face expulsion from Spain, and some may have taken on the surname Ariel as a way to conceal their Jewish heritage.
One notable individual with the surname Ariel was Rabbi Isaac ben Moses Ariel, a prominent Talmudic scholar who lived in the 13th century in Seville, Spain. Another early figure was Moses ben Isaac Ariel, a Jewish philosopher and physician who lived in the 14th century in Catalonia.
In the 16th century, the surname Ariel appeared in various records in England, suggesting that it had spread beyond the Iberian Peninsula. One notable individual from this period was Sir Walter Ariel, an English politician and member of Parliament who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
During the 17th century, the surname Ariel gained prominence in France, where it was often associated with Huguenot families who had fled religious persecution. One notable figure from this time was Jacques Ariel, a French Protestant minister and theologian who lived from 1612 to 1678.
In the 18th century, the surname Ariel appeared in various parts of Europe, including Germany and Italy. One notable individual from this period was Johann Ariel, a German composer and organist who lived from 1738 to 1809.
As the centuries passed, the surname Ariel continued to spread across different regions and cultures, with various spellings and variations emerging. Despite its long history and diverse geographical spread, the surname Ariel has maintained its connection to its ancient Hebrew roots and the city of Ariel in ancient Phoenicia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ariel
Among Census respondents with the surname Ariel, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.2%) and Black (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ariel bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ariel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.7% · 337
- Hispanic or Latino22.2% · 123
- Black or African American6.3% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.4% · 30
- Two or more races5.2% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ariel
Ariel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#45,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 472
+39 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 984 places
2020
#42,112
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 555
+83 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 3,235 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,331 | 433 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,347 | 472 | 0.16 | +39 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 984 places |
| 2020 | #42,112 | 555 | 0.19 | +83 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 3,235 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ariel surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #45,347 | #42,112 | 7.1% |
| Count | 472 | 555 | 17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.19 | 16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ariel bearers went from 472 to 555 (+17.6% change). The surname moved up 3,235 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,347 to #42,112.
FAQ
Ariel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ariel?
Name Census estimates that about 636 living Americans carry the surname Ariel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 538,922 residents.
How common is Ariel?
Ariel ranks #42,112 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 555 people with the surname Ariel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ariel.
Has Ariel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ariel went from 472 recorded bearers to 555. That is an increase of 83 (+17.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #45,347 to #42,112.
What does the Census say about the background of Ariel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ariel, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.2%) and Black (6.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ariel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.7% (337 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ariel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.7%), Hispanic (22.2%), Black (6.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ariel (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ariel mean?
A Hebrew surname meaning "lion of God". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ariel (0.19 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Ariel?
Find out how many people have the surname Ariel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.