Ariele is a feminine form of Ariel, from Hebrew, meaning lion of God.
Ariele is the Italian and occasionally French form of Ariel, a name rooted in biblical Hebrew. The Hebrew אֲרִיאֵל (Ari'el) compounds ari (lion) with El (God), yielding the evocative meaning 'lion of God.' In the Hebrew Bible, Ariel appears as a poetic name for Jerusalem in the book of Isaiah, framing the holy city as both fierce and divinely protected — a city that roars.
It also appears as a personal name in the books of Ezra and Chronicles. Shakespeare gave the name enduring literary life in The Tempest (1611), where Ariel is the airy spirit bound in service to Prospero — quick, ethereal, and longing for freedom. This portrayal introduced the name to European imagination as something luminous and otherworldly.
The Italian form Ariele preserves that lightness while giving it Mediterranean warmth. In Italy, it has been used for both boys and girls, though the feminine association has grown stronger globally over the twentieth century, aided by Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989), which cemented Ariel as a recognizably feminine name in popular culture. Ariele, with its final 'e,' signals the Italian or specifically feminine register, distinguishing it from the more gender-neutral Ariel.
It appeals to parents who want classical roots with a softer, continental finish. The name inhabits a charming space between sacred text, Renaissance drama, and modern storybook — rare enough to feel distinctive but rooted enough to feel timeless.