Ariella is a feminine, Italian-style elaboration of Ariel, a Hebrew name that means "lion of God" and appears in the Bible as a poetic name for Jerusalem. It shares its sound with Gabriella and Isabella, which helped it spread beyond Jewish families. Ariella entered the US top 1000 in 2008, climbed from number 400 in 2015 to a peak of number 154 in 2020 and ranks 174th in 2025.