| Angel | Mateo | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Angel, messenger | gift of God |
| Origin | Spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | AHN-hel | ma-TEH-o |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1888 | 1904 |
| Peak year | 2006 (11,602) | 2024 (11,349) |
| In 2025 | 4,757 | 11,045 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Angel | Mateo |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 28,990 | 62,272 |
| 2010s | 62,959 | 50,604 |
| 2000s | 94,334 | 10,490 |
| 1990s | 36,990 | 2,010 |
| 1980s | 15,798 | 370 |
| 1970s | 11,178 | 285 |
| 1960s | 7,404 | 102 |
| 1950s | 4,224 | 116 |
| 1940s | 1,377 | 112 |
| 1930s | 1,088 | 102 |
| 1920s | 1,089 | 162 |
| 1910s | 391 | 63 |
| 1900s | 34 | 5 |
| 1890s | 22 | 0 |
| 1880s | 8 | 0 |
Angel comes from the Greek angelos, “messenger,” and the Latin angelus. It is common for boys in Spanish-speaking cultures (Ángel) and used for girls in English.
The Spanish form of Matthew, from the Hebrew Mattityahu, meaning 'gift of Yahweh' (mattan 'gift' + Yah, a name of God). It reached Spanish through the Greek Matthaios and Latin Matthaeus, the name of the apostle and gospel-writer.
Mateo is more popular than Angel today: about 11,045 US babies were given the name Mateo in 2025, compared with 4,757 named Angel.
Angel means Angel, messenger (Spanish origin), while Mateo means gift of God (spanish origin).
In US records, Angel first appears in 1888 and Mateo in 1904, so Angel has the longer recorded history.