Evangel
A word of Greek origin meaning "good news" or "gospel".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Evangel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Evangel today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Evangel births was 2007 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Evangel. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Evangel with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Evangel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2007
6 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2014 SSA rank
#11,148
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Evangel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Evangel from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Evangel 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 Evangel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Evangel
The name Evangel has its roots in the Greek language, originating from the word "euangelion," which translates to "good news" or "gospel." It is a name that carries deep religious connotations, particularly within Christianity.
In the 4th century AD, the word "euangelion" was widely used in Christian texts to refer to the written accounts of the life, teachings, and ministry of Jesus Christ. Over time, the name Evangel emerged as a way to honor and celebrate the Christian faith and the message of the gospels.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Evangel can be found in the writings of the Early Church Fathers, such as St. Augustine and St. Jerome. These influential theologians and scholars often used the term "evangelium" to refer to the four canonical gospels of the New Testament.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Evangel. One of the most famous was Evangel Torricelli (1608-1647), an Italian physicist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of atmospheric pressure and the development of the barometer.
Another prominent figure with the name Evangel was Evangel Planck (1858-1947), a German theoretical physicist who is considered the originator of quantum theory. His groundbreaking work laid the foundation for modern quantum mechanics and earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.
In the realm of literature, Evangel Milton (1608-1674), the English poet and polemicist, is renowned for his epic poem "Paradise Lost," which is considered one of the greatest works of literature in the English language.
The name Evangel has also been associated with influential religious figures. Evangel Philips Brooks (1835-1893) was an American Episcopal bishop and author who is best known for writing the beloved Christmas carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem."
Finally, Evangel Booth (1865-1950), the fourth General of The Salvation Army, was a prominent figure in the organization's history. She played a crucial role in expanding the organization's work and influence around the world.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Evangel throughout history, each contributing to various fields and leaving a lasting impact on their respective domains.
People
Evangel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Evangel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Evangel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Evangel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Evangel 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Evangel a common name?
We classify Evangel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Evangel most popular?
The single biggest year for Evangel was 2007, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Evangel is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Evangel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Evangel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Evangel 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.
Is Evangel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Evangel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Evangel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Evangel as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.