| Angel | Santiago | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Angel, messenger | Saint James |
| Origin | Spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | AHN-hel | san-tee-AH-go |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1888 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2006 (11,602) | 2025 (7,554) |
| In 2025 | 4,757 | 7,554 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Angel | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 28,990 | 37,145 |
| 2010s | 62,959 | 36,449 |
| 2000s | 94,334 | 14,613 |
| 1990s | 36,990 | 4,283 |
| 1980s | 15,798 | 2,627 |
| 1970s | 11,178 | 2,083 |
| 1960s | 7,404 | 1,464 |
| 1950s | 4,224 | 1,330 |
| 1940s | 1,377 | 1,111 |
| 1930s | 1,088 | 935 |
| 1920s | 1,089 | 1,050 |
| 1910s | 391 | 476 |
| 1900s | 34 | 123 |
| 1890s | 22 | 62 |
| 1880s | 8 | 77 |
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.
A contraction of 'Sant Yago' — Saint James. Yago (also Iago) is the old Spanish form of Jacobo/James, from the Hebrew Ya'aqov (Jacob). The name honors Santiago the Apostle, patron saint of Spain, whose shrine is at Santiago de Compostela.
Santiago is more popular than Angel today: about 7,554 US babies were given the name Santiago in 2025, compared with 4,757 named Angel.
Angel means Angel, messenger (Spanish origin), while Santiago means Saint James (spanish origin).
In US records, Angel first appears in 1888 and Santiago in 1880, so Santiago has the longer recorded history.