Angel is a name of Spanish origin that means "messenger". It is derived from the Latin word 'angelus', which also means messenger. In Christian religion, angels are considered as spiritual beings acting as messengers of God.
The use of Angel as a given name has increased in popularity over time. According to data from the Social Security Administration, it was one of the top 1000 names for girls born in the United States between 2009 and 2018.
In literature and art, Angel has been used as a character name numerous times. For example, Charles Dickens' novel "Great Expectations" features a character named Angel. Additionally, there have been several musical acts with "Angel" in their band names, such as the American rock group Angel and the British heavy metal band Angel Witch.
Overall, Angel is a name that carries religious significance while also having a unique sound and meaning that makes it appealing to parents looking for a distinctive name for their child.
The name Angel has seen a significant rise in popularity over the past century in the United States. In the early 1900s, there were fewer than ten births each year with the name Angel. However, by the 1940s and 50s, this number began to increase steadily.
In the decade between 1950 and 1960, there was a notable increase in the popularity of the name Angel, with over 267 births recorded in 1960 alone. This trend continued into the next decade, peaking at nearly 1950 births in 1972.
The 1970s and 80s saw a period of fluctuation for the name Angel, with numbers ranging from around 1450 to 2135 births each year. However, by the mid-1990s, the popularity of the name began to rise once again.
Between 1996 and 2007, there were over 2000 births each year with the name Angel, peaking at 2731 births in 1999. This period also saw a significant increase in the overall number of births in the United States, which may have contributed to this rise in popularity for the name Angel.
After 2007, there was another decline in the popularity of the name Angel, with fewer than 2500 births recorded each year until 2014. Since then, the numbers have continued to decrease steadily, reaching an all-time low of just 579 births in 2023.
Overall, while the name Angel has had periods of significant popularity in the United States over the past century, it appears that its popularity may be waning once again.