Angela Girl

Popularity: #375 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: AN-juh-luh /ˈændʒə.lə/

Origin: Greek; Latin

Meaning: Greek: messenger of God; Latin: angel

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Angela has its roots in the Greek word "angelos," meaning "messenger" or "angel." This term was adopted into Latin as "angelus," which retained the same meaning. The name began to appear in various forms across different languages, eventually making its way into Old French as "Angele" before being adopted into English.

The transition into English occurred during the Middle Ages, when the name became associated with Christian symbolism, particularly in reference to angels as divine messengers of God. Historically, the name Angela gained prominence through its association with various saints, most notably Saint Angela Merici, who founded the Ursuline order in the 16th century.

Her life and works contributed to the name's spread in Catholic communities. The name also appears in religious texts and literature, reinforcing its connection to spirituality and virtue.

The use of Angela in the context of Christian names became more widespread following the Renaissance, a period that saw a revival of interest in classical names and their meanings. Culturally, the name Angela has been embraced in various traditions, often symbolizing purity, guidance, and protection, reflecting the qualities attributed to angels in religious contexts.

The name has also inspired numerous artistic works, including literature and music, further embedding it in cultural consciousness. Diminutive forms such as Angie have emerged, showcasing the name's adaptability and endearment across different cultures.

Overall, Angela's etymological roots, historical significance, and cultural resonance have contributed to its enduring presence in various societies.

Famous people named Angela

In this section, you will find notable people named Angela. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Angela who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Angela who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Angela Lansbury is an actress best known for Murder, She Wrote, Beauty and the Beast, and Gaslight.

Angela Merkel is a former Chancellor of Germany best known for her leadership during the European financial crisis, the migrant crisis, and her role in the EU.

Angela Bassett is an actress best known for What's Love Got to Do with It, Black Panther, and American Horror Story.

Angela Davis is an activist and scholar best known for her involvement in the civil rights movement, her work on prison reform, and her authorship of Women, Race, & Class.

Angela Ahrendts is a business executive best known for her role as Senior Vice President of Retail at Apple and former CEO of Burberry.

Angela Gheorghiu is an opera singer best known for her performances in La Traviata, Tosca, and Carmen.

Angela Robinson is a director and writer best known for Herbie: Fully Loaded, D.E.B.S., and the TV series The L Word.

Fictional characters named Angela

The following list of fictional characters named Angela 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.

Angela is a fictional character from the TV series The Office. She is the uptight head of the Party Planning Committee and known for her strict demeanor and love for cats.

Angela Chase is a fictional character from the TV series My So-Called Life. She is a high school student navigating the complexities of adolescence and relationships.

Sibling suggestions

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

IsabellaGabriellaSophiaVictoriaOliviaElena

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Angela. 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.

AngelicaAmandaArianaAllegraAnastasiaAlyssaAvaAdele

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Angela was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Angela has ranked as high as #17 nationally, which occurred in 1971, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Ohio, and Illinois.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Angela 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 Angela 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 Angela.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 765 0 765
2024 1,123 0 1,123
2023 1,214 0 1,214
2022 1,323 0 1,323
2021 1,282 0 1,282
2020 1,190 0 1,190
2019 1,272 0 1,272
2018 1,242 0 1,242
2017 1,352 0 1,352
2016 1,511 0 1,511
2015 1,492 0 1,492
2014 1,737 0 1,737
2013 1,651 0 1,651
2012 1,641 0 1,641
2011 1,679 0 1,679
2010 1,917 0 1,917
2009 2,258 0 2,258
2008 2,550 8 2,542
2007 2,763 7 2,756
2006 2,935 9 2,926
2005 2,907 10 2,897
2004 3,172 9 3,163
2003 3,332 12 3,320
2002 3,722 8 3,714
2001 3,927 12 3,915
2000 3,837 9 3,828
1999 3,644 12 3,632
1998 3,380 11 3,369
1997 3,668 16 3,652
1996 3,880 13 3,867
1995 4,126 7 4,119
1994 4,423 9 4,414
1993 4,582 10 4,572
1992 5,093 15 5,078
1991 5,820 18 5,802
1990 6,696 30 6,666
1989 7,253 54 7,199
1988 7,947 33 7,914
1987 8,632 49 8,583
1986 9,310 43 9,267
1985 10,270 43 10,227
1984 11,349 58 11,291
1983 13,255 36 13,219
1982 15,059 57 15,002
1981 15,976 52 15,924
1980 18,027 58 17,969
1979 20,326 70 20,256
1978 20,590 73 20,517
1977 21,072 74 20,998
1976 22,096 58 22,038
1975 23,451 90 23,361
1974 22,892 89 22,803
1973 20,971 73 20,898
1972 23,630 69 23,561
1971 25,993 92 25,901
1970 25,012 83 24,929
1969 21,109 49 21,060
1968 20,721 51 20,670
1967 19,620 65 19,555
1966 18,580 48 18,532
1965 18,795 41 18,754
1964 16,299 43 16,256
1963 13,312 35 13,277
1962 11,691 27 11,664
1961 10,867 24 10,843
1960 8,704 21 8,683
1959 6,794 22 6,772
1958 5,785 17 5,768
1957 5,339 13 5,326
1956 5,045 11 5,034
1955 3,898 5 3,893
1954 3,551 8 3,543
1953 3,196 11 3,185
1952 2,650 8 2,642
1951 2,143 6 2,137
1950 2,062 5 2,057
1949 1,967 0 1,967
1948 1,801 0 1,801
1947 1,648 0 1,648
1946 1,284 6 1,278
1945 1,063 6 1,057
1944 1,014 6 1,008
1943 941 8 933
1942 1,022 6 1,016
1941 827 5 822
1940 726 0 726
1939 734 0 734
1938 728 11 717
1937 791 7 784
1936 595 0 595
1935 618 0 618
1934 627 0 627
1933 577 0 577
1932 616 8 608
1931 619 0 619
1930 649 10 639
1929 684 8 676
1928 628 7 621
1927 609 8 601
1926 577 5 572
1925 565 5 560
1924 605 5 600
1923 671 5 666
1922 649 8 641
1921 679 8 671
1920 674 9 665
1919 654 0 654
1918 726 5 721
1917 742 0 742
1916 716 0 716
1915 698 0 698
1914 590 0 590
1913 447 0 447
1912 398 0 398
1911 292 0 292
1910 260 0 260
1909 204 0 204
1908 183 0 183
1907 174 0 174
1906 123 0 123
1905 148 0 148
1904 124 0 124
1903 132 0 132
1902 116 0 116
1901 89 0 89
1900 107 0 107
1899 80 0 80
1898 98 0 98
1897 95 0 95
1896 60 0 60
1895 70 0 70
1894 64 0 64
1893 67 0 67
1892 63 0 63
1891 29 0 29
1890 45 0 45
1889 42 0 42
1888 33 0 33
1887 33 0 33
1886 24 0 24
1885 18 0 18
1884 20 0 20
1883 22 0 22
1882 24 0 24
1881 9 0 9
1880 7 0 7

Top States for Angela (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
TX 222
20%
CA 193
18%
FL 56
5%
NY 44
4%
AZ 43
4%
GA 40
4%
IL 40
4%
NJ 32
3%
NC 31
3%
VA 27
2%
MD 25
2%
PA 24
2%
TN 24
2%
CO 22
2%
OK 20
2%
IN 19
2%
AL 18
2%
WA 18
2%
WI 18
2%
MN 16
1%
NV 14
1%
SC 14
1%
MO 13
1%
MI 13
1%
OH 12
1%
OR 12
1%
MA 9
1%
IA 9
1%
KY 9
1%
LA 8
1%
UT 8
1%
KS 8
1%
AR 7
1%
NE 7
1%
CT 7
1%
NM 6
1%
ID 5
0%