How to say it
AN · gel
/ˈeɪn.dʒəl/
Unisex
Angel
Messenger of God
What it means
From Greek angelos ('messenger'). The Spanish Ángel is masculine and pronounced AHN-hel; the English Angel is unisex and pronounced AYN-jel. Both root meanings carry the same religious sense.
Angel comes from the Greek angelos, 'messenger,' which became the standard word for the divine messengers of the Hebrew Bible. As a given name it followed two different paths. The Spanish Ángel has been masculine and common in Spanish-speaking countries for centuries (pronunciation AHN-hel). The English Angel emerged in the 1970s as a unisex name (pronunciation AYN-jel), often leaning feminine but used for both. Buffy the Vampire Slayer's brooding vampire Angel kept it in cultural circulation. In US records the name is now slightly more common for boys, reflecting Latino-community usage. Common shorts include Ange in English and Angie or Geli in Spanish.
Popularity over time
Feminine: peaked at #104 in 2001, currently #546 in 2025.
Masculine: peaked at #31 in 2006, currently #67 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
English AYN-jel and Spanish AHN-hel are both standard in their respective traditions. The same spelling, two different sounds.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Angel (Buffyverse) The brooding vampire-with-a-soul, his own spinoff series 1999-2004
- Angel Olsen American singer-songwriter, indie-folk
Spelling variants
- Ángel
- Angelo
- Angela (f.)
Names with the same feeling
See Angel from another angle
By meaning
By style