Ari or Aris is a common shortened version of the Greek names Aristotle, Ariadne, (Arianna)Arietta, Aristides, Aristarchus, Aristomenes, Aristobulos, Aristoxenos, Aristos, Aristophanes, Aristea, Aristotelis, and others, the majority of which are compounds of the adjectival superlative áristos, "best".
One study conducted in the United Kingdom showed "Ari" to be a male name associated with people of Greek descent [REF].