At a glance
- In short
- Angel is a boy’s name from Greek angelos meaning messenger of God.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #67 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 4,757 (0.26% of boys)
- Trend
- Rising #76 in 2020 to #67 in 2025
- Peak
- #31 in 2006
- Top state
- #18 in 2 states
- First recorded
- 1888
Meaning of Angel
Angel is a boy’s name derived from the Greek angelos, meaning messenger or envoy, by way of the Latin angelus. In Christian tradition the word came to denote a heavenly messenger, and that is the sense the name carries in English. The Spanish form is Ángel, written with an accent. Its meaning is commonly given as messenger of God or simply angel, and the origin is not disputed. The name is common in both Spanish- and English-speaking countries.
English speakers pronounce the name AN-juhl; Spanish speakers say ahn-HEL.
In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, angels are spiritual beings who serve as messengers of God, and they appear throughout scripture, liturgy and religious art. The word is also the ordinary English noun for such a being. Among well-known bearers of the name are the Argentine golfer Ángel Cabrera, winner of the 2007 U.S. Open and the 2009 Masters, and the American singer-songwriter Angel Olsen.
In the United States the name climbed steeply through the 1990s, reaching a peak of No. 31 in 2006, when 11,602 boys were given it. By 2025 it ranked No. 67, with 4,757 births, still a top-100 name.
How to pronounce Angel
English
- Pronounced AN-juhl /ˈeɪndʒəl/
Spanish
- Pronounced ahn-HEL /anˈxel/
Popularity of Angel in the U.S.
Angel was the #67 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 4,757 babies. It peaked at #31 in 2006 and has been in the top 100 since 1997. It first appears in the records in 1888.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1888–2025 125 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,757 | 67 | ▼ 4 |
| 2024 | 4,983 | 63 | ▼ 1 |
| 2023 | 4,900 | 62 | – |
| 2022 | 5,105 | 62 | ▲ 5 |
| 2021 | 4,718 | 67 | ▲ 9 |
| 2020 | 4,527 | 76 | ▼ 3 |
| 2019 | 4,917 | 73 | ▼ 1 |
| 2018 | 5,065 | 72 | ▼ 1 |
| 2017 | 5,278 | 71 | ▼ 1 |
| 2016 | 5,564 | 70 | ▼ 6 |
| 2015 | 6,116 | 64 | ▲ 3 |
| 2014 | 6,314 | 67 | – |
| 2013 | 6,369 | 67 | ▼ 10 |
| 2012 | 7,024 | 57 | ▼ 5 |
| 2011 | 7,536 | 52 | ▼ 10 |
| 2010 | 8,776 | 42 | ▼ 5 |
| 2009 | 9,853 | 37 | ▼ 1 |
| 2008 | 10,357 | 36 | ▼ 2 |
| 2007 | 11,376 | 34 | ▼ 3 |
| 2006 | 11,602 | 31 | ▲ 1 |
| 2005 | 10,993 | 32 | ▲ 12 |
| 2004 | 9,516 | 44 | ▲ 3 |
| 2003 | 9,161 | 47 | ▲ 2 |
| 2002 | 8,192 | 49 | ▲ 9 |
| 2001 | 6,978 | 58 | ▲ 9 |
| 2000 | 6,306 | 67 | ▲ 6 |
| 1999 | 5,402 | 73 | ▲ 8 |
| 1998 | 4,772 | 81 | ▲ 5 |
| 1997 | 4,514 | 86 | ▲ 16 |
| 1996 | 3,913 | 102 | ▼ 1 |
| 1995 | 3,734 | 101 | ▲ 3 |
| 1994 | 3,477 | 104 | ▲ 11 |
| 1993 | 3,037 | 115 | ▼ 1 |
| 1992 | 3,049 | 114 | ▲ 9 |
| 1991 | 2,685 | 123 | ▲ 10 |
| 1990 | 2,407 | 133 | ▲ 7 |
| 1989 | 2,176 | 140 | ▲ 11 |
| 1988 | 1,828 | 151 | ▲ 14 |
| 1987 | 1,655 | 165 | ▼ 2 |
| 1986 | 1,651 | 163 | ▲ 9 |
| 1985 | 1,561 | 172 | ▲ 7 |
| 1984 | 1,418 | 179 | ▲ 6 |
| 1983 | 1,349 | 185 | ▼ 4 |
| 1982 | 1,442 | 181 | ▲ 13 |
| 1981 | 1,299 | 194 | ▼ 22 |
| 1980 | 1,419 | 172 | ▲ 13 |
| 1979 | 1,303 | 185 | ▲ 4 |
| 1978 | 1,249 | 189 | – |
| 1977 | 1,244 | 189 | ▲ 8 |
| 1976 | 1,139 | 197 | ▲ 4 |
| 1975 | 1,092 | 201 | ▼ 3 |
| 1974 | 1,111 | 198 | ▲ 8 |
| 1973 | 1,049 | 206 | ▲ 19 |
| 1972 | 954 | 225 | ▲ 10 |
| 1971 | 1,002 | 235 | ▼ 6 |
| 1970 | 1,035 | 229 | ▲ 12 |
| 1969 | 938 | 241 | ▲ 7 |
| 1968 | 833 | 248 | ▲ 11 |
| 1967 | 772 | 259 | ▲ 3 |
| 1966 | 766 | 262 | ▲ 17 |
| 1965 | 721 | 279 | ▲ 21 |
| 1964 | 697 | 300 | ▲ 8 |
| 1963 | 648 | 308 | ▼ 14 |
| 1962 | 696 | 294 | ▲ 3 |
| 1961 | 669 | 297 | ▲ 2 |
| 1960 | 664 | 299 | ▲ 18 |
| 1959 | 602 | 317 | ▲ 17 |
| 1958 | 529 | 334 | ▼ 14 |
| 1957 | 571 | 320 | ▲ 14 |
| 1956 | 496 | 334 | ▲ 13 |
| 1955 | 433 | 347 | ▼ 8 |
| 1954 | 441 | 339 | ▲ 46 |
| 1953 | 328 | 385 | ▲ 3 |
| 1952 | 313 | 388 | ▲ 22 |
| 1951 | 277 | 410 | ▲ 25 |
| 1950 | 234 | 435 | ▲ 51 |
| 1949 | 185 | 486 | ▼ 44 |
| 1948 | 225 | 442 | ▲ 76 |
| 1947 | 171 | 518 | ▲ 27 |
| 1946 | 137 | 545 | ▼ 12 |
| 1945 | 125 | 533 | ▲ 42 |
| 1944 | 114 | 575 | ▲ 12 |
| 1943 | 117 | 587 | ▲ 24 |
| 1942 | 106 | 611 | ▼ 36 |
| 1941 | 107 | 575 | ▲ 51 |
| 1940 | 90 | 626 | ▲ 10 |
| 1939 | 86 | 636 | ▼ 14 |
| 1938 | 91 | 622 | ▼ 55 |
| 1937 | 103 | 567 | ▲ 19 |
| 1936 | 97 | 586 | ▲ 12 |
| 1935 | 94 | 598 | ▼ 59 |
| 1934 | 119 | 539 | ▲ 38 |
| 1933 | 100 | 577 | ▼ 62 |
| 1932 | 125 | 515 | ▲ 55 |
| 1931 | 107 | 570 | ▼ 111 |
| 1930 | 166 | 459 | ▲ 53 |
| 1929 | 131 | 512 | ▲ 5 |
| 1928 | 136 | 517 | ▲ 19 |
| 1927 | 131 | 536 | ▼ 3 |
| 1926 | 130 | 533 | ▲ 26 |
| 1925 | 122 | 559 | ▲ 44 |
| 1924 | 112 | 603 | ▲ 115 |
| 1923 | 82 | 718 | ▼ 32 |
| 1922 | 90 | 686 | ▲ 128 |
| 1921 | 70 | 814 | ▼ 115 |
| 1920 | 85 | 699 | ▲ 75 |
| 1919 | 70 | 774 | ▲ 120 |
| 1918 | 55 | 894 | ▼ 34 |
| 1917 | 55 | 860 | ▼ 89 |
| 1916 | 63 | 771 | ▲ 410 |
| 1915 | 30 | 1,181 | ▼ 283 |
| 1914 | 37 | 898 | ▼ 1 |
| 1913 | 30 | 897 | ▼ 21 |
| 1912 | 26 | 876 | ▲ 106 |
| 1911 | 12 | 982 | ▼ 123 |
| 1910 | 13 | 859 | ▲ 92 |
| 1909 | 10 | 951 | ▼ 5 |
| 1908 | 9 | 946 | ▼ 16 |
| 1907 | 9 | 930 | back (not recorded in 1901–1906) |
| 1900 | 6 | 1,162 | ▼ 305 |
| 1899 | 7 | 857 | back (not recorded in 1897–1898) |
| 1896 | 5 | 1,101 | back (not recorded in 1892–1895) |
| 1891 | 5 | 963 | ▲ 31 |
| 1890 | 5 | 994 | back (not recorded in 1889) |
| 1888 | 8 | 755 | new |
Angel by state
Angel ranks #18 in Texas and Nevada (2025).
Rank by state 44 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 18 | 937 |
| Nevada | 18 | 73 |
| Arizona | 19 | 193 |
| New Mexico | 19 | 45 |
| California | 25 | 942 |
| Illinois | 52 | 181 |
| Oregon | 63 | 57 |
| Maryland | 64 | 83 |
| Delaware | 64 | 15 |
| Florida | 65 | 311 |
| Colorado | 65 | 89 |
| Washington | 67 | 105 |
| Kansas | 69 | 48 |
| Oklahoma | 70 | 56 |
| North Carolina | 81 | 147 |
| Georgia | 83 | 133 |
| Nebraska | 86 | 29 |
| New Jersey | 88 | 108 |
| South Carolina | 88 | 57 |
| Virginia | 89 | 97 |
| New York | 91 | 196 |
| Arkansas | 92 | 35 |
| Rhode Island | 97 | 11 |
| Tennessee | 104 | 86 |
| Connecticut | 109 | 34 |
| South Dakota | 116 | 11 |
| Louisiana | 118 | 42 |
| District of Columbia | 120 | 7 |
| Utah | 123 | 43 |
| Indiana | 124 | 65 |
| Alabama | 124 | 43 |
| Iowa | 132 | 31 |
| Massachusetts | 143 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | 146 | 43 |
| Hawaii | 146 | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | 166 | 78 |
| Idaho | 166 | 16 |
| Mississippi | 173 | 18 |
| Minnesota | 186 | 35 |
| Kentucky | 187 | 30 |
| Ohio | 189 | 68 |
| Michigan | 197 | 51 |
| New Hampshire | 206 | 6 |
| North Dakota | 226 | 5 |
| Missouri | 230 | 31 |
| U.S. territories | ||
| Puerto Rico | 20 | 60 |
Notable people named Angel
- Angel Locsin — Angelica Locsin Colmenares is a Filipino actress and humanitarian known for dramatic heroine and mythological roles in film and television, and the recipient of multiple Star, FAMAS, Box Office Entertainment, and Luna awards.
- Adilson Angel Abreu de Almeida Gomes is an English midfielder for Marseille and England, versatile across attacking, central and wide roles.
- Angel Olsen is an American singer and songwriter from St. Louis, Missouri, now living in Asheville, North Carolina.
- Ángel Matos García is a Puerto Rican Popular Democratic Party (PPD) politician elected to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 2012 for District 40.
- Ángel Manuel Pagán is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants.
- Ángel Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer, nicknamed "El Pato," who won the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters, becoming the first Argentine and South American to win either major.