Meaning: Its source is angelos, a Greek name meaning "Messenger from God."

Popularity: The name Angella ranked 1948th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: Given its associations with divine Biblical messengers, one would suppose that Angela has been in use since ancient times.

However, name commentators have determined that it only came into extensive use in the 18th century. Since then it has gained steadily in popularity, peaking in the United States during the 1970s, but still making appearances on U.S. state popularity lists well into the 1990s.