How to say it
AN · ge · la
/ˈæn.dʒə.lə/
Feminine
Angela
Angel, messenger
What it means
From the Greek angelos, 'messenger' or 'angel.'
Angela is the feminine of Angelo, from the Greek angelos, 'messenger,' the word scripture uses for God's angels. St. Angela Merici founded a teaching order in the 1500s, and the name became a mid-20th-century staple, worn by figures as varied as Angela Merkel, Angela Davis, and Angela Lansbury. It shares its root with Angelina and Angel. Angie and Ange are the shorts.
Popularity over time
peaked at #5 in 1974, currently #408 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
- Nickname
Angie and Ange are the everyday shorts.
- Spelling
Relation to Angelina, Angelo, and Angel.
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.
- Angela Merkel former chancellor of Germany
- Angela Davis American activist and scholar
Spelling variants
- Angelica
- Ángela
- Anjela
Names with the same feeling
See Angela from another angle
By meaning
By style