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The name Ángela is the Spanish and Italian feminine form of the Latin Angelus, itself derived from the Greek angelos, meaning messenger or envoy, and used in Christian tradition specifically to denote a heavenly messenger or angel. It came into widespread use in medieval Europe through veneration of saints and the growing influence of Christian religious naming practices. Notable bearers include Saint Angela Merici, the sixteenth-century Italian founder of the Ursuline order. Related forms include Angela, Angèle in French, Angelika in German, and the diminutive Angelita.