Ariadne
- Pronunciation
- [A-ri-adne]
- Gender
- Female
- Meaning
- Very Holy
- Origin
- Greek
About the Name Ariadne
Ariadne is a name of deep Greek roots, traditionally read as "very holy" from elements meaning "most" and "sacred." In Greek myth, Ariadne is the clever Cretan princess who gave Theseus the thread to escape the labyrinth, lending the name an air of resourcefulness, courage, and ancient drama that has kept it alive and admired for millennia. Its blend of classical pedigree and storybook romance makes it a favorite among parents drawn to mythological names with real depth.
In modern American use the name is elegant and uncommon. Ariadne first entered the US Social Security top-1000 in 2014, peaked in 2016 at rank #732, and left the list after 2018, when it sat at #934. Over that span it was given to roughly 1,745 girls who reached the top-1000, marking it as a refined, classically minded choice that enjoyed a focused window of visibility without ever going mass-market or losing its sense of rarity.
The name's appeal lies in its mythological richness, its graceful four-syllable flow, and its bridge to a whole family of beloved relatives. It offers the easy nicknames Aria and Adi for daily use. Recorded variants include the sleeker Aria and the popular Ariana and Arianna, giving parents a range from streamlined and modern to fully ornate while preserving the same shimmering Greek heritage.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration name data, 1880–2024 (methodology). By Marvin Tang.
Quick Facts About Ariadne
US Popularity History (2014–2018)
Annual US births named Ariadne by gender, from US Social Security Administration records. Peak year: 2016 with 389 girls named Ariadne (girl rank #732 that year).
Where it stands today: in 2018, ranked #934 for girls (286 US births). That's 202 places below its 2016 peak.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Limitations: US birth-certificate data only; names appearing fewer than 5 times in a given year are suppressed for privacy; spelling variants are counted separately. For names that ranked outside the US top 100 before year 2000, only the years they reached the top 100 are shown — the chart may have gaps for less-popular historical names.
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Where in the US Is Ariadne Most Popular?
Average girl-name rank within each state across 2016–2025 SSA records. A lower number means the name appears closer to the top of that state's girls-name rankings — a per-capita measure that isn't biased toward large states. For Ariadne the strongest states are New Mexico, Arizona, Texas.
Strongest girls-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | #294 | 31 |
| 2 | Arizona | #532 | 107 |
| 3 | Texas | #564 | 594 |
| 4 | Colorado | #625 | 61 |
| 5 | California | #782 | 413 |
| 6 | New Jersey | #802 | 28 |
| 7 | Illinois | #831 | 73 |
Weakest girls-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | #831 | 73 |
| 2 | New Jersey | #802 | 28 |
| 3 | California | #782 | 413 |
| 4 | Colorado | #625 | 61 |
| 5 | Texas | #564 | 594 |
| 6 | Arizona | #532 | 107 |
| 7 | New Mexico | #294 | 31 |
Source: SSA state-level baby-name dataset 2016–2025. States with fewer than 3 years of data for Ariadne in this window are excluded. Births < 5 in a given state-year are suppressed by SSA for privacy.
Variant Forms
Looking for names like Ariadne?
A dedicated page with 60+ related names — spelling variants, rhymes, alliterations, same-origin matches, and shared meaning concepts — lives at its own URL so each kind of similarity gets a deeper treatment than fits here.
Compare Ariadne to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Ariadne against today's most popular girls-name peers (top 8 by US births in the last 10 years of SSA records).
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