UK name, mostly boys
Ari
A Hebrew name meaning "lion" or "courage".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Ari is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Ari popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #286, with 157 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 204 births.
This profile covers 1,512 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 77% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,621 living people in the UK are called Ari. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Ari ranked #286 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 157 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 204 boys were registered as Ari.
- • Ari ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #285 in 2022.
- • About 1,621 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ari as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 90.8% of Ari registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#286
2024
Births in 2024
157
Latest year
Peak year
2023
204 births
Estimated living
1,621
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Ari
In England and Wales birth records, Ari has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 90.8% of registrations are for boys and 9.2% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Ari registered for boys
- Ranked #286 in 2024
- 157 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (204 births)
Ari registered for girls
- Ranked #934 in 2024
- 38 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (38 births)
Meaning
What does Ari mean?
The name Ari has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is a unisex name that can be used for both boys and girls. The meaning of the name is derived from the Hebrew word "אריה" (ariyeh), which means "lion." This name has been in use since ancient times, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to the Old Testament of the Bible.
In the Bible, Ari appears as a name for several individuals, including Ari, the son of Gad, mentioned in Numbers 26:17. Additionally, the name is found in the Book of Ezra, where it refers to one of the priests who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Ari. One of the most famous was Ari Thorgilsson (1067-1148), an Icelandic scholar and priest who is considered the founder of the Benedictine order in Iceland. His writings, particularly the "Libellus Islandorum" (Little Book of Icelanders), provide valuable insights into the history and culture of medieval Iceland.
Another historically significant figure was Ari ben Jonah (c. 1200-c. 1271), a Spanish rabbi and grammarian who wrote extensively on the Hebrew language and biblical exegesis. His works, such as the "Sefer ha-Mikhlol" (Book of Completeness), had a profound influence on the study of Hebrew grammar and linguistics.
In more recent times, Ari Bezalel (1925-2019) was an Israeli artist and sculptor known for his monumental public works, including the iconic "Lighted Towers" in Jerusalem. His sculptures can be found in various cities across Israel and around the world.
Ari Vatanen (born 1952) is a Finnish former rally driver and politician who won the World Rally Championship in 1981. He later pursued a career in politics and served as a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2009.
Lastly, Ari Aster (born 1986) is an American filmmaker and screenwriter best known for his horror films "Hereditary" (2018) and "Midsommar" (2019), which received critical acclaim for their unique and unsettling narratives.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ari over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Ari in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Ari, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 157 births in 2024, compared with 204 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ari by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ari was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #291 | 815 | 5 |
| 2010s | #708 | 564 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1495 | 118 | 9 |
| 1990s | #2202 | 15 | 3 |
Geography
Where Ari is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ari. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Ari ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #285 in 2022.
Across the UK
Ari in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#290 in 2024
12 years of NRS records, 106 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#285 in 2022
3 years of NISRA records, 12 total registered
Related
Names similar to Ari
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Ari: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ari in the UK right now?
In 2024, Ari was ranked #286 for boys in England and Wales, with 157 births registered.
When was Ari most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 204 babies registered as Ari in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ari?
A Hebrew name meaning "lion" or "courage".
How many people are called Ari in the UK?
A total of 1,512 babies have been registered as Ari across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 106 more in Scotland and 12 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Ari most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Ari ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #285 in 2022. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.