Uriel is one of the great archangels of Hebrew tradition — and one of the most underused angel names in American baby naming. Gabriel and Michael have been top-100 staples for decades. Uriel has stayed quieter, giving parents who love the tradition a genuinely rare alternative.
The Archangel of Light
Uriel comes from the Hebrew Uriel (אוּרִיאֵל), meaning "God is my light" or "flame of God" — combining ur (light, fire) with El (God). In Jewish and early Christian apocryphal literature, Uriel is counted among the highest angels, associated with wisdom and the light of the divine. He appears prominently in the Book of Enoch and in John Milton's Paradise Lost, where he's called "the sharpest-sighted spirit of all in Heaven." That's a literary pedigree most names can't match. SSA data puts Uriel at #461 currently, with just over 20,300 recorded U.S. bearers.
Hebrew Names in American Culture
Uriel benefits from the same wave bringing Raphael, Ezra, and Elijah to prominence. Biblical and apocryphal Hebrew names carry a weight and resonance that synthetic modern names can't replicate. For Latino families — who account for a significant share of Uriel's current usage — the name also has deep Catholic tradition, appearing in religious iconography across Mexico and Central America. It spans cultures without belonging exclusively to any one of them.
The Pronunciation Question
English speakers most commonly say YOOR-ee-el, though Spanish speakers often use oo-RYEL , a softer, more melodic rendering. Neither is wrong, and having two valid pronunciations gives the name flexibility across cultural contexts. The potential friction is worth knowing: a child named Uriel will spend some portion of his life correcting people. That's a modest tax on a name this distinctive. If the angel-name angle appeals but you want something more universally familiar, Gabriel or Raphael are the obvious comparisons. Uriel's rarity, though, is its point. Explore more Hebrew baby names for names in the same tradition.