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The short answer
Angel is a name used for both boys and girls, taken from the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus. That name comes from the word for the heavenly creature, which in turn goes back to Greek angelos, "messenger". Behind the Name records a 13th-century Saint Angelus, a priest from Jerusalem, and notes that in the English-speaking world the name is sometimes given to girls in modern times. It is pronounced AYN-jəl in English. In the United States in 2025 it ranked #67 for boys and #546 for girls, so in practice it is used far more often for boys.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name derives Angel "from the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning 'messenger')". The entry lists the root as angelus and names Saint Angelus, a 13th-century priest from Jerusalem, as an early bearer. It adds that "the name has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times". Angela and Angelle are given as English variants, and the entry lists Bulgarian and Macedonian usage alongside English.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | ἄγγελος (angelos) | messenger |
| Medieval Latin | Angelus | angel (the heavenly creature) |
Competing or overlapping origins
- Behind the Name's "Same Spelling" list points to separate entries for the accented forms Ángel (listed under Spanish in the related-names table) and Àngel (Catalan). Those entries were not fetched in this pass, so any difference in their treatment of the name is not verified here.
Popularity
Angel ranked #67 for boys and #546 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Behind the Name reports no historical US ranking in the facts available for this pass.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (boys) | 2025 | #67 | ssa-2025 |
| United States (girls) | 2025 | #546 | ssa-2025 |
United States, 2025: #67 (Social Security Administration)
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Angela, Angelle, Ángel, Àngel
Related names: Angelo, Angelina, Angela, Angelos, Anzhela, Ange, Angèle
What the name feels like
Angel is a word-name: it carries its meaning on the surface, which gives it a gentle, devotional feel in English. Two syllables and a soft final -l make it easy to say, and its wide family of forms (Angelo, Angelina, Angela) keeps it at home in Spanish, Italian and Slavic contexts as well as English.
Style tags: word name, religious, two syllables, unisex, international
Editorial interpretation: The style summary is editorial opinion, not linguistic fact. Behind the Name lists no diminutives for the English entry, so none are given here; any short form would be a natural clipping rather than a documented tradition.
If you like this name
Names from the same Angelus family, and other English names with an on-the-surface meaning.
Similar by origin
Similar by style
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Angel mean?
Angel comes from the medieval Latin name Angelus, taken from the word for the heavenly creature, which itself comes from Greek angelos, "messenger".
Is Angel a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. Behind the Name labels it masculine and feminine. In the United States in 2025 it ranked #67 for boys and #546 for girls, so it is used mostly for boys.
How popular is the name Angel?
In 2025 Angel ranked #67 among boys' names and #546 among girls' names in the United States, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Angel — supports etymology, pronunciation, gender usage, variants, Saint Angelus.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
