Browse Names - Behind the Name

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Agathangelos m Late Greek
Means "bearer of good news", derived from Greek ἀγαθός (agathos) meaning "good" and ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger, angel". Saint Agathangelus of Rome was a 4th-century deacon who was martyred during the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian.

Anahera f Maori
Means "angel" in Maori.

Angel m & f English, Bulgarian, Macedonian
From the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus, which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger"). It has never been very common in the English-speaking world, where it is sometimes used as a feminine name in modern times.

Ángeles f Spanish
Means "angels", taken from the Spanish title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, meaning "Our Lady the Queen of the Angels".

Àngels f Catalan
Catalan cognate of Ángeles.

Arcangelo m Italian
Means "archangel" in Italian.

Engel m & f Germanic, German (Rare)
Originally this may have been a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element angil, referring to the Germanic tribe known in English as the Angles. However, from early times it has been strongly associated with the Old German word engil meaning "angel" (of Latin and Greek origin).

Engelbert m German, Germanic
Old German name composed of either the element angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or engil meaning "angel" combined with beraht meaning "bright". Saint Engelbert was a 13th-century archbishop of Cologne murdered by assassins.

Engilram m Germanic
Old German form of Ingram.

Evangelia f Greek
Feminine form of Evangelos.

Evangelija f Macedonian
Macedonian feminine form of Evangelos.

Evangeline f English
Means "good news" from Greek εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄγγελμα (angelma) meaning "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem Evangeline. It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.

Evangelista m & f Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Means "evangelist, preacher" in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek εὐάγγελος (euangelos) meaning "bringing good news". It is often used in honour of the Four Evangelists (the authors of the gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). It is traditionally masculine, though occasionally given to girls. A famous bearer was the Italian physicist and mathematician Evangelista Torricelli (1608-1647), who invented the barometer.

Evangeliya f Bulgarian (Rare)
Bulgarian feminine form of Evangelos.

Evangelos m Greek
Means "bringing good news" from the Greek word εὐάγγελος (euangelos), a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger".

Fereshteh f Persian
Means "angel" in Persian.

Gotzon m Basque
Means "angel" in Basque.

Malachi m Hebrew, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name מַלְאָכִי (Mal'akhi) meaning "my messenger" or "my angel". This is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Malachi, which some claim foretells the coming of Christ. In England the name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.

Malaika f Swahili
Means "angel" in Swahili, derived from Arabic ملك (malak).

Mələk f Azerbaijani
Means "angel" in Azerbaijani, ultimately of Arabic origin.

Malak f & m Arabic
Means "angel" in Arabic.

María de los Ángeles f Spanish
Means "Mary of the angels" in Spanish, a devotional title of the Virgin Mary.

Melek 2 f Turkish
Means "angel" in Turkish, ultimately of Arabic origin.

Mihangel m Welsh (Rare)
Welsh name of the archangel Michael, formed from a contraction of Michael and angel.

Yazdan m Persian
Means "angel, divinity, saint" in Persian.

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