Angel
Angel was the 67th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 4,757 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 31st with 11,602 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 3 places. More babies were named Angel in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning angel; messenger · Greek, Latin, Spanish
Say it AYN-juhl /ˈeɪndʒəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #67 boys, up 9 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 4,757boys
- Girls and boys
- 11% girls, 89% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200611,602 babies
- Total since 1880
- 366,174babies recorded
What does the name Angel mean?
Angel comes from Latin angelus and Greek angelos, which first meant 'messenger' and in Christian use came to mean a messenger of God. DMNES records the medieval name Angelus, and Spanish Ángel (stressed on the first syllable, with a throaty g) is a common boy's name across the Spanish-speaking world. In the United States both the Spanish name and the English word name are given, mostly to boys, and sometimes to girls in the English pronunciation.
ἄγγελος (Ancient Greek, “messenger”)angelus (Latin, “angel”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ángel, Angelo, Angela, Angelina.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Angel', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Angel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Angel (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Angel popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #546 | #67 | 551 | 4,757 |
| 2020 | #436 | #76 | 704 | 4,527 |
| 2010 | #193 | #42 | 1,612 | 8,776 |
| 2000 | #119 | #67 | 2,833 | 6,306 |
| 1990 | #174 | #133 | 1,662 | 2,407 |
| 1980 | #169 | #172 | 1,687 | 1,419 |
| 1970 | #270 | #229 | 1,108 | 1,035 |
| 1960 | #610 | #299 | 268 | 664 |
| 1950 | #1,333 | #435 | 47 | 234 |
| 1940 | #1,846 | #626 | 19 | 90 |
| 1930 | #1,750 | #459 | 21 | 166 |
| 1920 | #2,736 | #699 | 12 | 85 |
| 1910 | — | #862 | — | 13 |
| 1900 | — | #1,170 | — | 6 |
| 1890 | — | #1,007 | — | 5 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Angel, counting every spelling?
Angel has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #74 for boys in 2025, against #67 on the official list, because Kayden/Kaiden/Caden and Silas/Sylas/Cylas and Jayden/Jaiden/Jaydon move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Angel?
4,757 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Angel (1.32 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Angel born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 40. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Angel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Angel?
About 254,400 people born in the US named Angel are alive today, with a median age of 20; half are between 13 and 28. That makes Angel mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Angel by state
How common Angel was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.1×), New Mexico (2.1×), California (2.0×), Texas (2.0×), Nevada (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Montana, New Hampshire, Hawaii.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Angel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Angel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Angel · Sibling names for Angel
Questions about the name Angel
What does Angel mean?
Angel means “angel; messenger” (Greek, Latin, Spanish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Angel?
Angel was the 67th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 4,757 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 31st with 11,602 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 3 places. More babies were named Angel in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Angel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 11% girls, 89% boys given the name Angel in the US.
Where is Angel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Angel was most common in Arizona (5.98 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and California.