Meaning & History
Angelov is a Bulgarian and Macedonian patronymic surname meaning "son of Angel." The root name Angel derives from the medieval Latin masculine name Angelus, which itself comes from the Greek word ἄγγελος (angelos) meaning "messenger." This term was used in early Christian contexts to denote a heavenly messenger, and Saint Angelus, a 13th-century priest from Jerusalem, helped popularize the given name.
Distribution and Variants
The surname Angelov is most common in Bulgaria and North Macedonia, reflecting the phonological and orthographic conventions of Slavic languages. The feminine form is Angelova, which shares the same root and geographic distribution. Cognate surnames in other languages include Italian D'Angelo and De Angelis, Romanian Anghel and Anghelescu, and Angioli from Italy. These all emerged from the same Latin Angelus but adapted to local naming conventions.
Notable Bearers
Among notable people with the surname Angelov are:
- Angel Angelov (born 1948), Bulgarian boxer and silver Olympic medalist
- Anyu Angelov (born 1942), former Bulgarian Minister of Defense
- Darko Angelov, Macedonian diplomat
- Pano Angelov (1879–1903), Bulgarian revolutionary in the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO)
- Meaning: "son of Angel"
- Origin: Bulgarian, Macedonian
- Type: Patronymic surname
- Usage regions: Bulgaria, North Macedonia
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Angelov