Angel

Angel comes from the Greek angelos, meaning messenger, which was used in early Christian texts to translate the Hebrew mal'akh, referring to a divine messenger or heavenly being. The name passed into Latin as angelus and spread throughout Europe with the growth of Christianity, becoming especially popular in Spanish-speaking cultures as both a masculine given name and, in the form Angela, a feminine one. Notable bearers include various saints and the literary character Angel Clare in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Related forms include Angelo, Angela, Angelica, and Angelina.