Even with the mermaid, I think it will still be a great choice for your son! There's plenty of other (male)
Ariel namesakes to offset the mermaid association. Also, as of last year, while ranking at #214 for girls,
Ariel ranked at #557 for boys on the U.S. charts, so it's still on the radar as a boy's name. I say that if you like
Ariel for a boy, use it!