The name Angus originates from the Gaelic word "Aonghas" meaning "one strength" or "one choice." It is a masculine given name of Scottish and Irish origin, believed to have emerged in the early medieval period around the 6th or 7th century AD.

The earliest known use of the name Angus can be traced back to Irish and Scottish saints from the early Christian era. One of the most notable was Saint Angus, an Irish scholar and missionary who lived in the 8th century AD and is revered as the patron saint of several Irish and Scottish dioceses.

In Scottish history, the name Angus was popular among the ancient Pictish and Gaelic nobility. One of the earliest recorded figures was Angus I, a semi-legendary king of the Picts who is said to have reigned in the 8th century AD. Another notable figure was Angus Og, a 13th-century chief of the Clan MacDonald and a key figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In the realm of art and literature, the name Angus has been associated with several notable figures. Angus Martyn (c. 1537 - c. 1609) was an English dramatist and playwright during the Elizabethan era. Angus Wilson (1913 - 1991) was a renowned English novelist and short-story writer, best known for his novels such as "Anglo-Saxon Attitudes" and "No Laughing Matter."

In the world of sports, Angus Fraser (born 1965) is a former English cricketer who played for England in the 1980s and 1990s. Angus McDougall (1935 - 2004) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a forward for several English clubs, including Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion.

Another notable bearer of the name was Angus Deaton (born 1945), a British-American economist and academic who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2015 for his work on consumption, poverty, and welfare.

The name Angus has endured through the centuries and continues to be a popular choice in many English-speaking countries, particularly in Scotland and Ireland, where it retains its strong cultural and historical connections.