The name Angela, as the overall consensus states, is derived from the Greek 'Angelos' although there are some sources that question this origin, with other theories suggesting Old English, French, Latin and Spanish languages as the moniker's birthplace. There is little doubt that the name has been equally popular in all these countries and there is much more agreement as to the name's meaning, with 'Angel', 'Messenger', 'Messenger of God' and 'Heavenly Messenger' all pretty much referring to the same imagery.
The name Angela is recorded as being at the height of fashion in the U.S.A during the 70s when it was ranked as the fifth most popular girls name in the country. Over the last decade the number of instances where baby girls have been called Angela has steadily decreased year on year in the United States. According to information collected by the Social Security Administration after hitting a relative peak of 3910 girls named Angela in 2001 (ranked 77th out of a 1000) it dropped to less than half that, numbering just 1898 girls named Angela, with an overall popularity ranking at 160th by 2010.
During this same period the instances of boys being named Angela have, according to the same source, also dropped in terms of ranking, although the actual figure has stayed relatively steady with only between eight and 12 boys named Angela each year between 2000 and 2008 (statistics for 2009 and 2010 are unknown).
There are a significant number of famous women named Angela, such as the British-born actress Angela Lansbury, famous for her roles in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and more recently as the meddling crime writer Jessica Fletcher in the detective series Murder She Wrote.
The name Angela is recorded as being at the height of fashion in the U.S.A during the 70s when it was ranked as the fifth most popular girls name in the country. Over the last decade the number of instances where baby girls have been called Angela has steadily decreased year on year in the United States. According to information collected by the Social Security Administration after hitting a relative peak of 3910 girls named Angela in 2001 (ranked 77th out of a 1000) it dropped to less than half that, numbering just 1898 girls named Angela, with an overall popularity ranking at 160th by 2010.
During this same period the instances of boys being named Angela have, according to the same source, also dropped in terms of ranking, although the actual figure has stayed relatively steady with only between eight and 12 boys named Angela each year between 2000 and 2008 (statistics for 2009 and 2010 are unknown).
There are a significant number of famous women named Angela, such as the British-born actress Angela Lansbury, famous for her roles in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and more recently as the meddling crime writer Jessica Fletcher in the detective series Murder She Wrote.
