Angel Unisex

Popularity: #67 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: AN-jel //ˈeɪn.dʒəl//

Origin: Greek; Latin

Meaning: Greek: messenger; Latin: angelus (messenger)

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Angel has its roots in the Greek word "angelos," meaning "messenger." This term was adopted into Latin as "angelus," which carried the same meaning. The transition into Old French as "ange" further solidified its use in the context of divine messengers, particularly in Christian theology.

The name entered the English language through Middle English, where it was used to denote both the celestial beings and as a given name, particularly in religious contexts. Historically, the name Angel has been associated with various significant figures and texts.

In the Christian tradition, angels are often depicted as messengers of God, with notable mentions in the Bible, including the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by the angel Gabriel. This biblical narrative has been influential in shaping the cultural significance of the name, especially during the medieval period when angelic figures were prominent in art and literature.

The name also appears in various forms in different cultures, reflecting its widespread appeal and the universal theme of divine communication. Culturally, the name Angel carries connotations of purity, guidance, and protection, resonating with its etymological roots.

It has been embraced in various traditions, often symbolizing hope and divine intervention. In some cultures, the name is associated with specific saints, such as Saint Michael, the archangel, who is venerated in Christianity.

The diminutive form "Angelo" is also notable, particularly in Italian contexts, where it retains the same meaning and significance. Overall, the name Angel has maintained a lasting presence in various cultures, reflecting its deep historical and spiritual connections.

Fictional characters named Angel

The following list of fictional characters named Angel is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Angel is a fictional character from the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. He is a vampire with a soul who seeks redemption for his past sins while protecting those he loves.

Angel is a fictional character from the comic book series Angel. They are a central character who navigates the complexities of their supernatural existence while fighting against evil forces.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Angel, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

GabrielMichaelRaphaelSeraphimNoahEliIsaiah

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Angel. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

AidenAndersonAngusArcherAsherAdrielArielAlaric

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Angel was first seen in the United States in 1888.

Angel has ranked as high as #33 nationally, which occurred in 2006, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Florida.

In the past 5 years the name Angel has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Angel is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Angel was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Angel.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 5,308 4,757 551
2024 5,604 4,983 621
2023 5,489 4,900 589
2022 5,713 5,105 608
2021 5,369 4,718 651
2020 5,231 4,527 704
2019 5,704 4,917 787
2018 5,920 5,065 855
2017 6,209 5,278 931
2016 6,582 5,564 1,018
2015 7,239 6,116 1,123
2014 7,516 6,314 1,202
2013 7,597 6,369 1,228
2012 8,432 7,024 1,408
2011 9,014 7,536 1,478
2010 10,388 8,776 1,612
2009 11,735 9,853 1,882
2008 12,484 10,357 2,127
2007 13,678 11,376 2,302
2006 13,828 11,602 2,226
2005 13,382 10,993 2,389
2004 12,130 9,516 2,614
2003 12,053 9,161 2,892
2002 11,292 8,192 3,100
2001 10,058 6,978 3,080
2000 9,139 6,306 2,833
1999 8,133 5,402 2,731
1998 7,156 4,772 2,384
1997 6,728 4,514 2,214
1996 5,852 3,913 1,939
1995 5,467 3,734 1,733
1994 5,151 3,477 1,674
1993 4,670 3,037 1,633
1992 4,745 3,049 1,696
1991 4,520 2,685 1,835
1990 4,069 2,407 1,662
1989 3,892 2,176 1,716
1988 3,532 1,828 1,704
1987 3,100 1,655 1,445
1986 3,234 1,651 1,583
1985 3,342 1,561 1,781
1984 3,103 1,418 1,685
1983 2,925 1,349 1,576
1982 3,186 1,442 1,744
1981 3,114 1,299 1,815
1980 3,106 1,419 1,687
1979 3,000 1,303 1,697
1978 3,184 1,249 1,935
1977 3,380 1,244 2,136
1976 2,781 1,139 1,642
1975 2,689 1,092 1,597
1974 2,560 1,111 1,449
1973 2,864 1,049 1,815
1972 2,900 954 1,946
1971 2,491 1,002 1,489
1970 2,143 1,035 1,108
1969 1,579 938 641
1968 1,337 833 504
1967 1,171 772 399
1966 1,204 766 438
1965 1,122 721 401
1964 1,121 697 424
1963 1,059 648 411
1962 1,146 696 450
1961 1,265 669 596
1960 932 664 268
1959 819 602 217
1958 718 529 189
1957 715 571 144
1956 619 496 123
1955 530 433 97
1954 533 441 92
1953 400 328 72
1952 367 313 54
1951 333 277 56
1950 281 234 47
1949 237 185 52
1948 278 225 53
1947 213 171 42
1946 176 137 39
1945 149 125 24
1944 145 114 31
1943 156 117 39
1942 137 106 31
1941 148 107 41
1940 109 90 19
1939 107 86 21
1938 106 91 15
1937 115 103 12
1936 110 97 13
1935 109 94 15
1934 133 119 14
1933 114 100 14
1932 145 125 20
1931 125 107 18
1930 187 166 21
1929 144 131 13
1928 155 136 19
1927 151 131 20
1926 149 130 19
1925 141 122 19
1924 132 112 20
1923 100 82 18
1922 102 90 12
1921 87 70 17
1920 97 85 12
1919 80 70 10
1918 63 55 8
1917 66 55 11
1916 78 63 15
1915 40 30 10
1914 44 37 7
1913 37 30 7
1912 34 26 8
1911 12 12 0
1910 13 13 0
1909 16 10 6
1908 16 9 7
1907 15 9 6
1900 6 6 0
1899 7 7 0
1896 5 5 0
1894 5 0 5
1891 5 5 0
1890 5 5 0
1888 8 8 0

Top States for Angel (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 1,109
20%
TX 1,076
19%
FL 348
6%
NY 226
4%
IL 199
4%
AZ 198
4%
GA 185
3%
NC 172
3%
NJ 131
2%
CO 114
2%
TN 110
2%
WA 108
2%
MD 108
2%
VA 102
2%
IN 95
2%
PA 85
2%
OH 84
2%
OK 77
1%
AL 74
1%
SC 71
1%
MA 65
1%
MI 64
1%
WI 62
1%
LA 59
1%
OR 56
1%
NV 54
1%
MN 54
1%
IA 50
1%
NM 49
1%
MO 42
1%
UT 42
1%
KS 40
1%
CT 39
1%
KY 38
1%
AR 38
1%
MS 29
1%
NE 25
0%
ID 18
0%
RI 12
0%
DE 11
0%
DC 8
0%
ND 5
0%
WY 5
0%