I once had a Spanish professor at the university that I attended who told me that the name "Arias" is a medieval Spanish word meaning "eagle." I, as of yet, have never checked this out in order to confirm or disconfirm his statement. However, it does seem as though there may be some connection between "Arias" and "eagle" since and eagle is a prominent feature on the Arias coat of arms. If anyone finds anything else out regarding this topic please let me know.