Angel
Angel is a given name meaning "angel". In the English-speaking world Angel is used for both boys and girls.
- English
- Bulgarian
- Macedonian
- Spanish
Meaning & Origin of Angel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Angel is a given name meaning "angel". In the English-speaking world Angel is used for both boys and girls.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Bulgarian
- Macedonian
- Spanish
- Catalan
The Story of Angel
As a girl name
American parents first put Angel on the record books as a girl name in 1894, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 3,100 Angels were born — ranking #109 that year. About 25% of every Angel on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Angel ranks #535 for girls with 573 births, falling sharply (-24%). All told, over 101K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1890s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Angel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1888, with 8 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2006: 11,602 births, good for #31 nationwide. About 35% of every Angel on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Angel ranks #59 for boys with 5,116 births, holding steady (+3%). All told, over 271K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Angel
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Angel. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Angelle
- Angjelko
Names that sound like Angel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Angel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Angel
What does the name Angel mean?
What is the origin of the name Angel?
How popular is Angel in 2026?
When was Angel most popular?
In which U.S. states is Angel most popular?
Is Angel a unisex name?
What names go well with Angel?
What are nicknames or variants of Angel?
About the name Angel
Angel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1888 and has accumulated 271K births in the dataset. Angel's peak popularity came in 2006 when it ranked #31. Use the chart and map above to compare Angel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2006 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.