Given name & surname · also Celtic, Gaelic
Angus
“one force; one strength; one choice”
Angus is used as a given name and a surname. One Scottish interpretation is “one force; one strength; one choice.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Scottish interpretation is “one force; one strength; one choice.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Celtic.
How it developed
In English usage, Angus developed from Aonghas.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Angus through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6,751
- 6,751 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2006
- 126 babies
- 2025
- 58
- #2,363 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 58 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,363 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 13.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 126 in 2006. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,664 as a first name in 2020; 4,220 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Angus’s family of names
Angus has an affectionate form in Angie. Angus has a feminine form in Angusina. In French usage, Angus has a related form in Aengus.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Angus has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Celtic roots to each of them.
6 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Angus
- Angus YoungAustralian guitaristborn 1955
- Angus DeatonBritish microeconomist (born 1945)
- Angus KingAmerican politician and lawyer (born 1944)
- Angus T. JonesAmerican actorborn 1993
- Angus GunnScottish association football playerborn 1996
- Angus CloudAmerican actor from California (1998–2023)
- Angus MacfadyenScottish actorborn 1963
- Angus ScrimmAmerican actor (1926–2016)
- Angus McLarenAustralian actorborn 1988
Characters named Angus: MacGyver (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Angus, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Aidan
“one who is fiery; little fire” · “a fiery young man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Gareth
“one who is gentle”
>99% boys
Cormac
“a charioteer”
>99% boys
Killian
“a warrior woman; of the church” · “one who is small and fierce”
98% boys · 2% girls
Finn
“white, fair” · “one who is cool”
99% boys · 1% girls
Declan
In Irish use, Declan is used as a form of Gaelic.
99% boys · 1% girls
Kieran
“having dark features; the little dark one”
97% boys · 3% girls
Caradoc
“one who is much loved”
>99% boys