I’m pregnant with my first child, a boy, and since i was little I’ve loved the name " Ariel " ( AH-ree-el ); It’s lovable and has a good meaning.
But everyone makes fun of my baby’s name. I don’t care if it was the mermaid’s name cause the procounation is different and the nickname " Ari " is good for a boy.
So many name websites and their users called me a crazy bad mom for naming son Ariel.
Am i ?
What should i do? I love this name. I’m from Canada and my son’s middle name is Levi
Help nameberry i only created my account for this.
In my opinion [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is completely usable for boys and you’re certainly not a ‘bad mom’ for considering this option. [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] has a soft romantic vibe, feels peaceful and has the lovely nickname [name_u]Ari[/name_u]. [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is very popular in [name_u]Israel[/name_u] so for me doesn’t feel strange at all but rather familiar. If you love [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] I would go for it children are called a variety of different names nowadays I think [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] works.
Congratulations!!!
I think that [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] could be used for both boys and girls, and the nickname [name_u]Ari[/name_u] is so cute too! [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] [name_u]Levi[/name_u] is a really good combination, and I think that you should do it! If you love [name_u]Ariel[/name_u], then you should stick with it!
Wishing you the best!
Imho [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is completely suitable for boys. The Shakespearean character is most commonly understood as male and that is a much older reference than the [name_f]Disney[/name_f] princess! It’s similar to other Hebrew/angelic boys names and the short form [name_u]Ari[/name_u] is gaining popularity so I truly don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about. It’s a great name and I say go for it
[name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is my boyfriend’s favorite boy’s name! If it weren’t for the mermaid, I think this spelling would probably be pretty popular for boys! (With [name_u]Arielle[/name_u] being the feminization). It’s a Hebrew name, so I’d assume there are still a lot of Jewish men with the name. I’ve heard of several men named [name_u]Ari[/name_u], and for all I know it’s short for [name_u]Ariel[/name_u]. It’s not an outlandish name at all, and that’s very rude of people to insult your parenting abilities for chosing it
People like to use the excuse “your kid will get bullied in school for their name” so they, and ADULT, can bully children. I’ve worked in multiple settings with children, and not once did I ever hear a kid making fun of another’s name. The naming landscape is changing. More and more parents are opting for less common names. [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] would hardly have the most surprising name in his class. Kids are so used to out-there names that they wouldn’t think anything of it. And again, it has a long established usage as a boy’s name.
[name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is a completely normal boy name in multiple cultures. In mine it’s actually more known as a boy name than a girls. There’s nothing wrong with it, though some may prefer it or think he’s a girl as a first, nothing a quick correction can’t fix. I think [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is a gorgeous name for a boy, it’s not for everyone, but that’s the case with any name. People will make fun of the most basic, common, and well loved names no matter what. You’re absolutely fine, [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is gorgeous and already a well established and popular boy name in other areas
[name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is such a beautiful boy name. You are not a bad mother. I think [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is gorgeous and in some respects I prefer it used on males than females. I think the only issue with the name is that a lot of people think of the [name_f]Disney[/name_f] princess [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] and may find it odd that is used for a boy. I don’t find it unusable and I think it is a pretty name and should be used more on boys.
I think understand the mermaid connection and therefore likely judgement isn’t going away anytime soon (I’d thank the popularity of the Disney Princesses brand for that one). So if you can live with it as you say you don’t care (and are ok with having to teach your child to push through some likely eventual judgement) then just keep pushing through. Otherwise maybe consider swapping Levi for the first (or even just going by the middle) and keep Ariel in the combo since you say you clearly have a lifelong love for it.
I love the name [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] on a boy. Where I live, it’s more likely to be a masculine name. [name_u]Ari[/name_u] is a lovely nickname.
I’m seconding @AerieEerie’s point—children are so used to unusual names these days that teasing is less of a concern than it would be in previous generations. And [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is far from what I would consider an outlandish choice.
[name_f]My[/name_f] sister’s name is " [name_u]Briar[/name_u] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] " and she got bullied for her name a lot because of sleeping beauty ( unlike me she never cared ) . It made a mental stress for me that it could happen for my son and i myself is so sensetive and i don’t want my son’s mental health will be in bad situations because of his name.
I agree with the other posters that [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is a perfectly normal boy’s name in many parts of the world. It means “lion of God” and appears in the Bible. Many older people or people who are aware of Israeli history will remember [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] [name_f]Sharon[/name_f] and (while I’m not saying I agree with his politics) he was definitely not a woman.
I don’t think the [name_f]Disney[/name_f] connotation is a massive issue when you’re using a different pronunciation. If it was the same pronunciation then I might be more concerned about teasing. People might read the name wrong at first, but it’s not an insurmountable issue.
As a mother of a little boy named [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] you will have to accept that in US and [name_f]Canada[/name_f] there will be the [name_f]Disney[/name_f] association and come to a place where you can accept that. [name_f]My[/name_f] daughter is only 20 months older than my sons and her aunt introduced her to The [name_m]Little[/name_m] Mermaid movie (which I had been avoiding intentionally) and of course [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] became her FAVORITE princess . The funny thing is she didn’t even realize it was the same name! Because we always pronounced the princess as (Airy-ul) & her baby brothers name as (Ari-EL). For us the love of the name and our connection to Judaism were strong enough reasons. It was honestly still hard for me to introduce him outside of Jewish circles as [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] and I introduced him as (Ari) until nearly 2 years old; until one day he looked at me pointing at himself and said “Ariel” and I knew he had a preference. He’s still not school age and I’ll have to decide what we will use when we enroll him for elementary school, and by then he will be old enough we can discuss it with him to see what he wants. But everyday I have become stronger and feel proud of my and my husbands choice of his name. I hope this helps in either decision you make. Btw ours middle is [name_u]Joseph[/name_u]. [name_u]Levi[/name_u] is a lovely choice for MN
[name_m]God[/name_m] bless your family. Seriously i hate the little mermaid and luckly all my nieces only love [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] ( if i don’t account hearing the let it go song every 5 minutes:) )
Aww your little [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is such a cute and clever boy. I’m glad you and you’re husband are not upset about your decisions about his name.
Tnx
I think [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is wonderful for a boy! I’m so sorry you’ve received such awful comments- people can be cruel, especially hidden behind a screen. You are not a bad mom for considering this lovely name for your son, and you won’t be a bad mom if you go through with it. You clearly have many good reasons to use the name [name_u]Ariel[/name_u], and you’ve been very thoughtful about your decision. Like you said, [name_u]Ariel[/name_u]:
Is a name you’ve loved for a long time
Has a good meaning
Comes with a great nickname, [name_u]Ari[/name_u]
Is pronounced differently from the [name_m]Little[/name_m] Mermaid
And as others have pointed out, [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is a traditionally masculine name in several cultures. With most elementary school classrooms being filled with children from a wide variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds, a little boy named [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] is unlikely to be a particular standout. [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] [name_u]Levi[/name_u] is a fantastic name. I hope in the end you’re able to feel confident using it, knowing it’s the perfect choice for your son
I’ve only met one [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] irl, a boy! [name_u]Ari[/name_u] is great and the iel ending is very common for boys. I think it will be fine! Congratulations
[name_u]Ariel[/name_u] was my mom’s grandfather’s name! He was a lovely man.
You can use it. Nowadays most names are unisex even [name_u]Will[/name_u] ( short for [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] + it’s my best friend’s nickname too! ) [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] and [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] are even now more common for boys. [name_u]Levi[/name_u] is such a good middle name but if you’re really uncomforble maybe just use [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] as his middle name.
But don’t push yourself too hard many people in US ( dunno about [name_f]Canada[/name_f] ) get used to unisex name. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if they say oh! But it’s a mermaid girly name!
[name_m]Just[/name_m] smile and say : It’s orginally a boys name and i loved it. ^^
Good [name_m]Luck[/name_m]!
YES! I love [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] for a boy! It was originally intended as a masculine name as well, meaning warrior and lion. [name_u]Love[/name_u] it
. The funny thing is she didn’t even realize it was the same name! Because we always pronounced the princess as (Airy-ul) & her baby brothers name as (Ari-EL). For us the love of the name and our connection to Judaism were strong enough reasons. It was honestly still hard for me to introduce him outside of Jewish circles as [name_u]Ariel[/name_u] and I introduced him as (Ari) until nearly 2 years old; until one day he looked at me pointing at himself and said “Ariel” and I knew he had a preference. He’s still not school age and I’ll have to decide what we will use when we enroll him for elementary school, and by then he will be old enough we can discuss it with him to see what he wants. But everyday I have become stronger and feel proud of my and my husbands choice of his name. I hope this helps in either decision you make. Btw ours middle is [name_u]Joseph[/name_u]. [name_u]Levi[/name_u] is a lovely choice for MN 
