Angel Family History

Spanish (Ángel) and Slovenian: from local equivalents of the Latin personal name Angelus from angelus Greek angelos ‘messenger angel’. In early Christian folk belief, angels were so named because they were considered to be messengers sent from God. Compare Spanish Del Angel. English (of Norman origin): from Middle English angel ‘angel’ from Old French angele from Latin angelus (see above) perhaps applied as a nickname to someone of angelic temperament or appearance or for someone who played the part of an angel in a pageant.

In North America, this surname may also be an altered form of any of several cognate European surnames, for example, Italian Angelo, Romanian Anghel, Czech Anděl, or Hungarian Angyal. American shortened form of Greek Angelis or of any other derivative of the personal name Angelos (see Angelos). Compare Angell and Angelus.

German: nickname from Old High German ango ‘spine, prick’ (also denoting the sharp awn or ‘beard’ of grain), denoting an angry or aggressive person. The German surname is concentrated in the farming area of southern Württemberg.

German: metonymic occupational name for a fisherman from Middle High German angel ‘fishing rod’. South German: perhaps a topographic name from angel ‘meadow, grass field’.

Americanized form of Croatian Anđel, a cognate of 1 above. Compare Angell.