Ariadne
Feminine · “most holy”
Ariadne is most holy in Greek, and she is the woman who gave Theseus the thread — and was abandoned on Naxos for her trouble.
How old is the name Ariadne?
Ariadne first appears in US birth records in 1960 — 65 years ago. The typical Ariadne is a kid of about 10 — this name's wave is very recent. About 4,800 people named Ariadne are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Ariadne most popular?
Ariadne peaked in 2016, reaching #731 nationally. Today it ranks #1758, 1,027 places below that high. See the whole 2016 chart.
Ariadne appears on this list:
Where it comes from
From ari hagnos to Ariadne
The story of Ariadne
Ariadne gives Theseus the thread that lets him find his way out of the labyrinth after killing the Minotaur, sails with him, and is left on Naxos while she sleeps. Dionysus finds and marries her, and her crown becomes the Corona Borealis. Strauss wrote an opera about the abandonment. The name is in current American use.
Meaning
most holy
From the Greek ari, an intensifying prefix meaning 'very', and hagnos, 'holy' or 'pure' — so 'most holy'. The name is probably pre-Greek in origin and Cretan; the Greek reading may be a later interpretation. The elements themselves are ordinary Greek.
How the name formed
- ari hagnos
- Ariadne
Related forms: Ἀριάδνη · Arianna · Ariadna
Pronouncing Ariadne
ar-ee-AD-nee
Four syllables, stress on the third. Italian Arianna is ah-ree-AH-nah with the same rhythm.
Nicknames for Ariadne
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1960
- Most girls named
- 2016389 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #731reached in 2016
- Change vs 2024
- −37.5%115 in 2025, from 184
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Ariadne in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Ἀριάδνη in Greek — transliteration
- Arianna in Italian — related form
- Ariadna in Spanish — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, California, Arizona.
Ariadnes among us
people named Ariadne are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 13,976 born in 2025 was named Ariadne
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Maira test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Ariadne's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Maira climbed just as high around 1992, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Maira's path sketches the road Ariadne is walking now.
Ariadne sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Ariadne is headed
Ariadne should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Ariadne beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Ariadne in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The most-holy meaning is transparent and unusually strong.
- One of the more consequential women of Greek myth carries it.
- Ari is available as a short form with real currency.
- The Greek reading may be a later interpretation of a Cretan name.
- Four syllables make it long for everyday use.
- Arianna and Ariana are both far commoner in America.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Ariadne to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Ariadne? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Ariadne
Feminine · #1758 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Ariadnes are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 4,800 people named Ariadne are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Ariadne in 2025?
- Ariadne ranks #1758 among US girl names in 2025, with 115 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Ariadne?
- About 1 in every 13,976 US girls born in 2025 was named Ariadne — 115 in all.
- Will my child share the name Ariadne with classmates?
- Ariadne will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Ariadne
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Misk#1758 · Clarity#1758 · Rosemarie#1758 · Mayla#1758 · Mylee#1758 · Daenerys#1758 · Lenna#1758 · Yarely#1758
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Ariadne? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Ariadne and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle