Arcangel
A masculine Spanish name meaning "archangel" or "chief angel".
Name Census estimates that about 240 living Americans carry the first name Arcangel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Arcangel today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Arcangel births was 2012 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Arcangel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
240
~ 1 in 1,428,143 Americans
Peak year
2012
25 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,841
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Arcangel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Arcangel from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 141 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Arcangel remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Arcangel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Arcangel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Arcangels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Arcangel, while New York, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Arcangel
The name Arcangel has its roots in the Spanish language and is derived from the words "arco" meaning arch or bow, and "angel" meaning angel or messenger. Its earliest origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain and other Spanish-speaking regions of Europe.
This name is closely associated with the concept of archangels, which are revered celestial beings in various religious traditions, particularly in Christianity. The name Arcangel is often used to refer to the archangels mentioned in religious texts, such as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Arcangel can be found in the works of Spanish mystic and poet, San Juan de la Cruz (1542-1591). He wrote extensively about the role of angels and archangels in spiritual enlightenment and devotion.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Arcangel de Alarcón (1525-1595) was a Spanish poet and dramatist who contributed significantly to the development of the Spanish Golden Age literature. His works often explored themes of love, honor, and morality.
Another notable bearer of this name was Arcangel Turrión Mateos (1880-1936), a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and martyr who was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1995 for his unwavering faith during the Spanish Civil War.
In the world of art, Arcangel Guglielmelli (1859-1938) was an Italian painter and sculptor known for his religious works, particularly his depictions of angels and archangels adorning various churches in Italy.
The name Arcangel also found its way into the realm of music with Arcangel Ruffini (1735-1796), an Italian composer and violinist active during the Classical period, who contributed to the development of the violin concerto genre.
Throughout history, the name Arcangel has been bestowed upon individuals in recognition of their spiritual or artistic endeavors, often associated with the divine or celestial realms. It carries a sense of protection, guidance, and reverence for the angelic beings celebrated in various cultural and religious traditions.
People
Arcangel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Arcangel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Arcangel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Arcangel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 240 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Arcangel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,428,143 US residents.
Is Arcangel a common name?
We classify Arcangel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 242 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Arcangel most popular?
The single biggest year for Arcangel was 2012, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Arcangel is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Arcangel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Arcangel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.