Did Disney create Ariel in little mermaid?

While Disney is known for bringing Ariel to life in the 1989 animated film *The Little Mermaid*, Ariel was not created by Disney.

Ariel is a character from Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale "The Little Mermaid", published in 1837.

Disney adapted the story for their animated film, giving Ariel her iconic look and personality, but the character's origins lie with Andersen.