Total births
673,257
Girls' name · since 1880
Angela
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 673,257 babies named Angela, peaking in 1971. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #281
- among girls today
- 673,257
- born since 1880
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Angela currently ranks #281 among girls' names in America, with 673,257 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Angela has been recorded 673,257 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #281 nationally and more common than 98% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #281 among girls today
- 673,257 born since 1880
- 1970s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Angela is currently the #281 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 673,257 born since 1880, peaking in the 1970s.
- #281
- among girls today
- 673,257
- born since 1880
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Angela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#281
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Angela was born in this single decade.
1971
Single peak year
25,901 babies were named Angela in 1971 - its busiest year on record.
How Angela compares
673,257 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Angela's all-time total is 1,762x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Angela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 673,257 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 25,901 | 48 | 19,840 |
Angela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Angela splits its recorded history at 1953: 94% of all births land in the more recent half, 6% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1880 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1971 peak of 25,901 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Angela at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1971
Current rank
#281
Active since
1880
Angela popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1971)
- 25,901
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Angela popularity over time - boys
2,135 total births recorded since 1918 (Angela as boys' name)
Angela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Angela's strongest decade.
225,262 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Angela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 232
1880s
232 births
- 1890s 671
1890s
671 births
- 1900s 1,400
1900s
1,400 births
- 1910s 5,518
1910s
5,518 births
- 1920s 6,273
1920s
6,273 births
- 1930s 6,518
1930s
6,518 births
- 1940s 12,256
1940s
12,256 births
- 1950s 40,357
1950s
40,357 births
- 1960s
1960s
159,294 births
- 1970s
1970s
225,262 births
- 1980s
1980s
116,595 births
- 1990s 45,171
1990s
45,171 births
- 2000s 31,319
2000s
31,319 births
- 2010s 15,494
2010s
15,494 births
- 2020s 6,897
2020s
6,897 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 225,262 births (33% of all-time use).
How Angela compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Angela's total volume
Angela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Angela by state
Where Angela concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 56,851 | 8.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 45,960 | 6.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 38,571 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 37,852 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 33,655 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 27,771 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 26,381 | 3.9% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 25,509 | 3.8% |
California share of Angela's total US births 8.4%
Even split
56,851 of 673,257 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Angela appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Angela? ▼
673,257 babies have been named Angela since 1880. It currently ranks #281 among girls. The peak year was 1971 with 25,901 births.
When was Angela most popular? ▼
Angela was most popular in the 1970s decade with 225,262 total births. The single peak year was 1971.
Where is Angela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Angela are California (56,851 births), Texas (45,960 births), New York (38,571 births).
How long has the name Angela been used? ▼
Records for Angela go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Angela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Angelina, Angel, Angelica, Angie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Angela's data
- Angela's decade-level peak was the 1970s (225,262 total births); usage has since declined to 6,897 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Angelas (56,851 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 Angela
Nearby Names Like Angela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Angela
Angelina Girl
#313 126,281 births
Angel Girl
#496 100,288 births
Angelica Girl
#619 93,217 births
Angie Girl
#593 65,665 births
Angeline Girl
#1153 36,874 births
Compare Angela side by side: Angela vs Angelina Angela vs Angel Angela vs Angelica
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Angela
Daniela #280
68,514 births · Peak 2007
Juliet #282
37,966 births · Peak 2016
Selah #279
15,187 births · Peak 2025
Alessia #283
10,179 births · Peak 2024
Milani #278
11,646 births · Peak 2022
Evie #284
21,857 births · Peak 2023
Kailani #277
12,778 births · Peak 2022
Marley #285
33,045 births · Peak 2008
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Angela: #281 Girls' Name - 673,257 Births, Peak 1971." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/angela. 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 Angela 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.