Angelo is a name of Italian origin and means "messenger" or "angel" in Italian. It comes from the Latin word "angelo," which itself derives from the Greek word "angelos," meaning "messenger." Angelo has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages, often bestowed upon children in honor of angels in religious art and literature.
The name Angelo was popularized during the Renaissance period in Italy, when many artists and writers used it as a literary device to evoke divine or heavenly themes. For example, the Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto named one of his characters Orlando Furioso's half-brother "Angelo" in his epic poem of the same name.
Over time, Angelo became more commonly used as a given name for boys throughout Europe and beyond. Today, it is still widely popular in countries with significant Italian populations, such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and Argentina.
Some notable individuals who have borne the name Angelo include:
* Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (1881-1963), also known as Pope John XXIII, who served as the head of the Roman Catholic Church from 1958 until his death in 1963.
* Angelo Scola (born 1941), an Italian cardinal and the current Archbishop of Milan since 2011.
* Angelo Badalamenti (1937-2022), an American composer best known for his work with film director David Lynch, including the scores for "Twin Peaks" and "Blue Velvet."
* Angelo Moriondo (1854-1926), an Italian inventor credited with creating one of the first telephones in 1871.
While there are no specific feast days associated with the name Angelo, it is often celebrated on the feast day of its patron saint, Saint Angela Merici (February 27). Throughout history, Angelo has been a popular choice for parents seeking a strong and distinctive name with deep roots in history and culture. Its meaning as "messenger" or "angel" adds an additional layer of symbolism to this enduringly appealing moniker.
The name Angelo has been a popular choice for parents in the United States over the past century and a half. From 1881 to 2023, there have been a total of 83,792 births registered with the name Angelo.
Looking at the statistical trends, we can observe that the popularity of the name has fluctuated over time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were fewer than 50 births per year with the name Angelo. However, starting in the 1930s, there was a gradual increase in its popularity.
From the 1940s onwards, we see a more significant rise in the number of babies named Angelo each year. In fact, between 1947 and 2008, there were at least 50 births per year with this name. The peak period for the name's popularity was during the late 1990s to mid-2000s when it was consistently among the top 300 names in the US.
Although there has been some variation over time, Angelo remains a popular choice for parents today. Between 2016 and 2023 alone, there have been an average of around 1,050 births per year with this name, indicating that it continues to be favored by many families across the United States.