Total births
265,886
Unisex name · since 1888
Angel
Since 1888, U.S. Social Security records show 265,886 babies named Angel, peaking in 2006. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #63
- among boys today
- 265,886
- born since 1888
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Angel is the #63 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 265,886 recorded since 1888.
Social Security Administration records show Angel recorded 265,886 times among boys since 1888, holding rank #63 nationally today, ahead of 99.6% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #63 among boys today
- 265,886 born since 1888
- 2000s peak decade
- 99.6% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Angel is currently the #63 unisex name in America, more common than 99.6% of boys - 265,886 born since 1888, peaking in the 2000s.
- #63
- among boys today
- 265,886
- born since 1888
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.6%
- more common than other boys
Angel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#63
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.6% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Angel was born in this single decade.
2006
Single peak year
11,602 babies were named Angel in 2006 - its busiest year on record.
How Angel compares
265,886 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Angel's all-time total is 724x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Angel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 265,886 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 11,602 | 23 | 22,252 |
Angel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Angel's full recorded timeline at 1963, 96% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 4% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1890, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2006 peak of 11,602 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Angel at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2006
Current rank
#63
Active since
1888
Angel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (2006)
- 11,602
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Angel popularity over time - girls
100,288 total births recorded since 1894 (Angel as girls' name)
Angel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Angel's strongest decade.
94,334 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Angel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 8
1880s
8 births
- 1890s 22
1890s
22 births
- 1900s 34
1900s
34 births
- 1910s 391
1910s
391 births
- 1920s 1,089
1920s
1,089 births
- 1930s 1,088
1930s
1,088 births
- 1940s 1,377
1940s
1,377 births
- 1950s 4,224
1950s
4,224 births
- 1960s 7,404
1960s
7,404 births
- 1970s 11,178
1970s
11,178 births
- 1980s 15,798
1980s
15,798 births
- 1990s 36,990
1990s
36,990 births
- 2000s
2000s
94,334 births
- 2010s
2010s
62,959 births
- 2020s 28,990
2020s
28,990 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 94,334 births (35% of all-time use).
How Angel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Angel's total volume
Angel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Angel by state
Where Angel concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 78,453 | 29.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 47,145 | 17.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 24,662 | 9.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 12,907 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 12,504 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Florida | | 12,244 | 4.6% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 8,792 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 4,637 | 1.7% |
California share of Angel's total US births 29.5%
Even split
78,453 of 265,886 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Angel appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Angel? ▼
Since 1888, Social Security records show 265,886 babies named Angel. Today it holds rank #63 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2006, with 11,602 births.
When was Angel most popular? ▼
Angel was most popular in the 2000s decade with 94,334 total births. The single peak year was 2006.
Where is Angel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Angel are California (78,453 births), Texas (47,145 births), New York (24,662 births).
Is Angel a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Angel is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 265,886 births, and as a girl's name it has 100,288 births.
How long has the name Angel been used? ▼
Angel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1888, spanning 138 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Angel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Angelo, Angus, Angela, Angad, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Angel's data
- Angel's decade-level peak was the 2000s (94,334 total births); usage has since declined to 28,990 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Angels (78,453 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Angel
Nearby Names Like Angel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Angel
Angelo Boy
#286 86,106 births
Angus Boy
#2135 6,751 births
Angela Boy
2,135 births
Angad Boy
#2250 869 births
Angello Boy
#6563 600 births
Compare Angel side by side: Angel vs Angelo Angel vs Angus Angel vs Angela
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Angel
Nathan #62
587,497 births · Peak 2004
Nolan #64
135,505 births · Peak 2015
Christopher #61
2,069,596 births · Peak 1984
Waylon #65
55,048 births · Peak 2025
Bennett #60
72,514 births · Peak 2025
Cameron #66
312,661 births · Peak 2000
Jayden #59
253,989 births · Peak 2009
Brooks #67
57,946 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1888–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Angel: #63 Unisex Name - 265,886 Births, Peak 2006." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/angel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Angel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.