Means 'God is my light,' one of the archangels in Jewish and Christian tradition.
Uriel comes from Hebrew, built from ur, often understood as "light" or "flame," and el, meaning "God," so the name is usually translated as "God is my light" or "flame of God." It belongs to the great family of ancient theophoric names, names that express a relationship to the divine and were especially valued in Jewish religious tradition. Its structure places it beside names like Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael, but Uriel has always carried a slightly more mysterious aura.
In religious and literary history, Uriel is best known as an archangel in Jewish apocryphal and mystical traditions, as well as in some Christian texts and later esoteric writings. Though not always included among the best-known angels in every branch of Christianity, Uriel appears in works of devotion, theology, and imagination as a figure of wisdom, illumination, and interpretation. English readers often encounter the name in John Milton's Paradise Lost, where Uriel appears as a watchful and radiant heavenly being.
That literary role helped preserve the name's learned, luminous character. Over time, Uriel has moved between sacred reverence and everyday use. In Jewish communities it has long had a steady presence, and in Spanish-speaking countries and Latin America it has also found broader use as a handsome biblical choice.
Its perception has evolved from distinctly religious to quietly cosmopolitan: ancient, intellectual, and striking without being unfamiliar. Uriel still feels touched by scripture and mysticism, yet in modern naming it also signals clarity, warmth, and a certain celestial distinction.