From Gaelic Aonghas meaning 'one strength' or 'one choice,' borne by an Irish mythological god of youth.
Angus is the Anglicization of the Scottish and Irish Gaelic Aonghus or Óengus, a name of ancient Celtic origin most commonly interpreted as "one strength," "sole vigor," or "unique choice" — from the elements óen (one, sole) and gus (strength, force). In Irish mythology, Aengus Óg (Aengus the Young) was the god of love, youth, and poetic inspiration, one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the divine race who inhabited Ireland before the arrival of humans. His home was at Brú na Bóinne, the great Neolithic passage tomb at Newgrange, and his mythology is laced with themes of longing, beauty, and the transformative power of love — making his name one of the most romantically charged in all Celtic tradition.
In Scotland, Angus became associated with the northeastern region of Angus (formerly Forfarshire), and the name was borne by kings of the Picts, the enigmatic pre-medieval people of northern Scotland. It remained a strongly Scottish name for centuries — heard in Highland glens and lowland towns alike — and acquired associations of rugged reliability and quiet strength. In the 20th century it gained new audiences through Angus Young of AC/DC, the kilt-wearing, schoolboy-uniformed guitarist whose ferocious stage presence gave the name an electrifying rock-and-roll edge entirely at odds with its pastoral origins.
Angus has found growing favor in English-speaking countries beyond Scotland, appreciated for its strong consonants, its mythological depth, and its distinctive personality. It projects confidence without aggression, antiquity without stuffiness. Parents drawn to Celtic heritage — or simply to names that sound like they were carved from stone — find in Angus a name of exceptional character.