Baby Name of the Day: Ariadne

The baby name Ariadne fits with so many trends in girl names right now, but remains just under the radar.

Thanks to Melissa for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME ARIADNE MEAN?

Even if you know your Greek mythology, Ariadne might not be immediately familiar. She’s not a goddess, just a princess.

But she plays a key role in a pivotal story. 

Back in the day, the kingdom of Minos defeated Athens in battle. As a consequence, the Minoans victors demanded a steep price. Every year, Athens sent seven young men and seven young women for sacrifice to the Minotaur, a vicious half-bull who stalked his prey in a maze.

Shades of The Hunger Games.

Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos, herself never directly threatened.

Until one year, the valiant Theseus volunteered, intending to kill the beast and end the practice forever. Ariadne helped him, giving him a sword and a ball of red thread to trace his path into the maze, and back out to freedom.

That makes Ariadne a hero name, too.

Her name means “most holy,” from the Greek elements ari – most – and adnos – holy. 

ARIADNE OVER TIME

Like many a Greek myth, Ariadne’s story ends tragically. But it’s oft-repeated in music and the arts. Richard Strauss wrote an opera about her, and there are poems and paintings and plays, too. In brief: Theseus abandons her. She marries the god Dionysus, and in some accounts, becomes a goddess, though a happily ever after proves elusive.

Beyond the labyrinth, women named Ariadne tend to be clever, at least a partial reference to the original.

Real and fictional bearers of the name include:

• Circa 130, a Saint Ariadne chose death rather than participate in pagan rituals.
• A Byzantine empress from around the year 500.
• In the 1694-95 season, The New Theatre in London debuted a play called She Ventures and He Wins. While it was not a success, it was credited to a “young lady” using the pen name Ariadne. It was one of very few plays written by a women to ever be performed in the era.
• Agatha Christie gave the name to a friend of detective Hercule Poirot, a mystery novelist who often assists Poirot in his investigations.
• In 2010’s Inception, Elliot Page wore the name as a character who designed labyrinths.
• A royal family, including Ariadne and her parents, is featured in the BBC’s mythological(ish) drama Atlantis.
• Popular Mexican actress Ariadne Diaz has starred in telenovelas like La mujer del Vendaval since the 2010s.

It’s the name of a butterfly and an algorithm, and there are other references throughout the natural world.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME ARIADNE?

The baby name Ariadne ranked in the US Top 1000 just a few times, from 2014 through 2018. 

It first debuted in the US popularity data in the year 1960, when eight girls were named Ariadne. Peak popularity was 389 girls in 2016. As of 2024, just 189 girls received the name.

Given the rise of Penelope, Chloe, Zoe, and other goddess and mythological girls’ names, especially those ending with E, these seems like an oversight.

But there’s more to this story.

ARIANA

In romance languages, Ariadne becomes Ariana or Arianna. It’s a little smoother, more more flowing.

Like Ariadne, it shares the obvious nicknames – Ari and Aria. But the -ana/-anna ending makes it far more familiar, a choice along the lines of Eliana and Juliana, Mariana and Joanna, too.

Both spellings of Ariana became major, chart-topping favorites. They peaked in the 2010s, entering the US Top 50. The single-N Ariana is far more popular. 

Credit, perhaps, to singer and actress Ariana Grande, who graduated from Nickelodeon to become a pop star and then co-star in Wicked. 

UNDISCOVERED GEM

We love A names for girls, and choices like Daphne, Phoebe, and Persephone are still being re-discovered by parents seeking the perfect name to fit in and stand out at the same time. 

The baby name Ariadne could fit right in. 

What do you think of the baby name Ariadne? 

This post was originally published on May 9, 2008. It was revised in August 2010; on March 7, 2016; and on April 22, 2026.