Angus
Masculine · “one choice”
Angus is one choice in Gaelic — aon and gus — and Aengus was the Irish god of love, conceived and born in a single day.
How old is the name Angus?
Angus was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Angus alive today was born around 1981, making them about 44 years old. About 4,400 people named Angus are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Angus most popular?
Angus peaked in 1882, reaching #365 nationally. Today it ranks #2363, 1,998 places below that high. See the whole 1882 chart.
Angus appears on this list:
Where it comes from
From aon gus to Angus
The story of Angus
Aengus was conceived and born in a single day, the Dagda having stopped the sun so his mother's pregnancy would pass unnoticed — and his name is read as 'one choice' or 'unique vigor'. Angus is also a Scottish county and a cattle breed. It appears in American records in current use.
Meaning
one choice, single strength
From the Gaelic Aonghus — aon, 'one', and gus, 'choice', 'force' or 'vigor'. The reading 'one choice' or 'unique strength' is standard. Aengus is a figure of the Irish Tuatha Dé Danann. The Gaelic is documented.
How the name formed
- aon gus
- Aonghus
- Angus
Related forms: Aonghas · Aonghus · Aengus
Pronouncing Angus
ANG-gus
Two syllables, stress on the first. Gaelic Aonghas is OON-us, quite different.
Nicknames for Angus
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 2001119 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #365reached in 1882
- Change vs 2022
- −32.6%58 in 2025, from 86
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Angus in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Aonghas in Scottish Gaelic — related form
- Aonghus in Irish — related form
- Aengus in English — spelling variant
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, New York, Washington. International figures from National Records of Scotland. Sources
Anguss among us
people named Angus are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 29,450 born in 2025 was named Angus
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Angus sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Angus is headed
Angus should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Angus beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Angus in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- That Aengus was conceived and born in one stopped day is a first-rate story.
- Gus is available as a short form with a real record.
- The one-choice meaning is transparent and strong.
- A cattle breed is a strong association.
- The Gaelic original is said entirely differently.
- It reads as strongly Scottish.
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What they receive
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Angus
Masculine · #2363 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Anguss are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 4,400 people named Angus are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Angus in 2025?
- Angus ranks #2363 among US boy names in 2025, with 58 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Angus?
- About 1 in every 29,450 US boys born in 2025 was named Angus — 58 in all.
- Will my child share the name Angus with classmates?
- Angus will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Angus
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Javi#2363 · Zacchaeus#2363 · Pete#2363 · Herman#2363 · Clint#2363 · Lipa#2363 · Reuven#2363 · Kyngston#2363
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Angus? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Angus and another name?
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Which one would you pick?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration; international figures from national statistics agencies. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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