7 Archangels Names and Meanings: Who They Are and What Each One Represents

The seven archangels are commonly named Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Remiel in one influential ancient tradition. Their names are traditionally connected with ideas such as protection, divine messages, healing, wisdom, justice, guidance, and hope.

There is an important detail, however: there is no single universally accepted list of seven archangels across Judaism and Christianity. Michael and Gabriel are the best-known biblical angels, Raphael appears prominently in the Book of Tobit, and names such as Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Remiel come mainly from ancient Jewish and later religious traditions.

Understanding the seven archangels therefore means understanding both their names and the traditions behind them.

The Seven Archangels at a Glance

Archangel	Common Meaning of Name	Common Association
Michael	“Who is like God?”	Protection, courage, spiritual defense
Gabriel	“God is my strength”	Messages, revelation, communication
Raphael	“God heals”	Healing, travel, restoration
Uriel	“God is my light”	Wisdom, truth, illumination
Raguel	“Friend of God”	Justice, harmony, fairness
Sariel	Often “Command of God”	Guidance, discipline, judgment
Remiel	“Mercy of God” or “Thunder of God”	Hope, resurrection, guidance of souls

The exact translations can vary because these names come through Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and later religious traditions.

Why Are There Seven Archangels?

The idea of seven important angels developed in ancient Jewish religious literature.

One especially influential source is the Book of Enoch, which describes seven holy angels standing in special roles before God.

Different manuscripts and later religious traditions sometimes spell their names differently or replace one name with another.

That is why you may encounter lists containing:

• Jeremiel instead of Remiel
• Selaphiel
• Jegudiel
• Barachiel
• Chamuel
• Jophiel
• Zadkiel

Those versions usually come from different Christian, Orthodox, esoteric, or devotional traditions.

So when someone asks for “the seven archangels,” the best answer is not that one list is absolutely correct and every other list is wrong.

There are several traditions.

The Michael-Gabriel-Raphael-Uriel-Raguel-Sariel-Remiel list is one of the oldest and most historically influential.

1. Michael — “Who Is Like God?”

Meaning of the name: “Who is like God?”

Michael is probably the most famous archangel.

He is commonly associated with:

• Protection
• Courage
• Spiritual warfare
• Strength
• Justice
• Defense against evil

His name is actually phrased like a question.

“Who is like God?”

The implied answer is:

“No one.”

That gives Michael’s name a strong meaning of humility before divine power.

What Does Archangel Michael Do?

In biblical and later Christian tradition, Michael is portrayed as a powerful heavenly defender.

The Book of Daniel presents Michael as a great prince connected with the protection of God’s people.

The Book of Revelation depicts Michael leading angels in battle against the dragon.

Because of these passages, Michael became strongly associated with spiritual protection.

Art frequently shows him wearing armor and carrying:

• A sword
• Spear
• Shield
• Scales

He may be shown defeating a dragon or demonic figure beneath his feet.

The message is clear:

Michael represents resistance to evil.

Why Is Michael Often Called the Leader of the Archangels?

Michael’s prominence in scripture and religious tradition caused him to become viewed as a chief or commander among angels.

He is also the one angel explicitly called an “archangel” in the New Testament.

That gives him a special position in discussions about angelic hierarchy.

For people using archangels symbolically today, Michael usually represents:

Protection when you feel afraid and courage when you need to stand your ground.

2. Gabriel — “God Is My Strength”

Meaning of the name: Commonly interpreted as “God is my strength” or “strength of God.”

Gabriel is the great messenger.

He is associated with:

• Communication
• Revelation
• Divine messages
• Announcements
• Truth
• New beginnings

If Michael represents protection, Gabriel represents communication.

What Does Archangel Gabriel Do?

Gabriel appears in the Book of Daniel, where he helps explain visions.

In the Gospel of Luke, Gabriel announces major events surrounding the births of John the Baptist and Jesus.

Most famously, Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her she will give birth to Jesus.

That scene became known as the Annunciation.

Because of this role, Gabriel became the archangel most strongly associated with messages from God.

What Does Gabriel Symbolize Today?

Gabriel is frequently invoked symbolically by people concerned with:

• Writing
• Speaking
• Teaching
• Creativity
• Communication
• Important announcements

The connection is easy to understand.

Gabriel brings information that changes people’s lives.

His symbolic message is often:

Listen carefully. Something important is being communicated.

Is Gabriel Male or Female?

Traditional religious texts generally use masculine language when referring to Gabriel.

However, angels are spiritual beings rather than ordinary biological humans.

Modern art and spirituality sometimes depict Gabriel with masculine, feminine, or androgynous features.

That variety comes from interpretation rather than a clear physical description in scripture.

3. Raphael — “God Heals”

Meaning of the name: “God heals” or “God has healed.”

Raphael is the archangel of healing.

He is commonly associated with:

• Physical healing
• Emotional healing
• Protection during travel
• Restoration
• Medicine
• Relationships

Raphael’s name makes his role especially easy to remember.

Where Does Raphael Appear?

Raphael is a central figure in the Book of Tobit, a biblical book accepted as scripture in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity but usually placed among the Apocrypha in Protestant traditions.

Raphael accompanies Tobias on a journey while initially concealing his angelic identity.

During the story, Raphael helps bring healing, protection, and restoration to the family.

He eventually reveals himself as one of the seven angels who stand before God.

That statement is one of the strongest ancient foundations for the tradition of seven special angels.

Why Is Raphael Associated With Travelers?

Raphael does not simply perform healing in Tobit.

He accompanies Tobias on a dangerous journey.

That made him a traditional protector of travelers.

For centuries, people have associated Raphael with safety during:

• Journeys
• Pilgrimages
• Medical treatment
• Recovery
• Major life transitions

His broader symbolism is restoration.

Something is damaged.

Raphael helps make it whole again.

4. Uriel — “God Is My Light”

Meaning of the name: “God is my light,” “light of God,” or “fire of God,” depending on interpretation.

Uriel is commonly associated with:

• Wisdom
• Knowledge
• Truth
• Illumination
• Understanding
• Prophecy

His name immediately suggests light.

Symbolically, that light is often understood as knowledge.

Is Uriel in the Bible?

Uriel does not appear by name in the standard Protestant biblical canon.

He appears in important Jewish and Christian apocryphal or pseudepigraphal writings, including traditions connected with Enoch and 2 Esdras.

Because of this, different churches treat Uriel differently.

Some Christian traditions honor him.

Others avoid formally naming angels not clearly identified in their accepted canon.

What Does Uriel Represent?

Uriel is commonly portrayed as the angel who helps reveal difficult truths.

He may be shown holding:

• A book
• Scroll
• Flame
• Sun
• Sword

Each object emphasizes knowledge or illumination.

In modern symbolic language, Uriel can represent the moment when confusion becomes understanding.

His message is:

See clearly.

Why Is Uriel Sometimes Associated With Fire?

Light and fire are closely connected.

Fire illuminates darkness, but it can also purify and destroy.

That makes Uriel’s symbolism more complex than simple intellectual wisdom.

Truth can be comforting.

It can also be uncomfortable.

Uriel therefore sometimes represents a form of wisdom that exposes what someone would rather not see.

5. Raguel — “Friend of God”

Meaning of the name: Commonly interpreted as “friend of God.”

Raguel is associated with:

• Justice
• Fairness
• Harmony
• Relationships
• Accountability
• Order

He is one of the seven angels named in the Book of Enoch tradition.

What Does Raguel Do?

Raguel is often described as an angel concerned with justice and proper order among other heavenly beings.

That role led later traditions to connect him with resolving conflict.

Where Michael fights evil directly, Raguel’s symbolism is more concerned with restoring fairness.

Think of him as representing the question:

What would make this situation right?

Why Is Raguel Connected With Relationships?

Harmony requires balance.

In modern spiritual interpretations, Raguel is sometimes associated with:

• Settling disagreements
• Repairing friendships
• Resolving family conflict
• Promoting fairness
• Recognizing unhealthy relationships

These modern uses expand on his older association with justice and order.

Raguel’s symbolism is therefore not simply about punishment.

It is about relationships being restored to a healthier balance.

6. Sariel — “Command of God”

Meaning of the name: Often interpreted as “command of God,” “prince of God,” or a similar meaning depending on linguistic reconstruction.

Sariel is one of the more mysterious members of the seven.

He may also appear under spellings such as:

• Saraqael
• Sarakiel
• Suriel
• Sariel

He is commonly associated with:

• Guidance
• Divine law
• Discipline
• Judgment
• Knowledge
• Spiritual instruction

Why Does Sariel Have So Many Spellings?

Ancient names passed through several languages and manuscript traditions.

A name originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic could be transliterated into Greek and then later rendered differently in modern languages.

Small variations can therefore produce names that look different even when they refer to the same figure.

This is particularly common with less familiar angels.

What Does Sariel Represent?

Sariel is sometimes associated with teaching, judgment, and guiding people toward correct conduct.

That makes his symbolism more serious than comforting.

Sariel can represent:

Responsibility.

Knowing what is right is not enough.

You also have to act accordingly.

Some traditions also connect him with celestial knowledge or the movements of heavenly bodies.

Is Sariel a Good Angel?

In traditions where Sariel appears among the seven holy angels, yes.

However, ancient angelic literature contains complicated naming traditions, and similar names can occasionally appear in different contexts.

This is another reason not to combine every angel list found online as though all traditions were identical.

7. Remiel — Hope, Mercy, and Resurrection

Meaning of the name: Often interpreted as “mercy of God,” although translations vary and some connect the name with “thunder of God.”

Remiel is also sometimes called:

Jeremiel

The relationship between Remiel and Jeremiel varies depending on the text and tradition.

Remiel is commonly associated with:

• Hope
• Resurrection
• Mercy
• Guidance of souls
• Visions
• Understanding the afterlife

What Does Remiel Do?

In ancient apocalyptic traditions, Remiel is associated with those who rise or with guiding the righteous.

Later interpretations connect him with hope after death and understanding the meaning of one’s life.

That gives Remiel one of the gentler symbolic roles among the seven.

Death is not necessarily presented as the end.

There can be restoration beyond it.

Why Is Remiel Sometimes Called Jeremiel?

Ancient angel names changed as texts moved through different languages and religious communities.

Jeremiel appears prominently in some later Christian traditions and is associated with visions, reflection, and hope.

Some lists treat Remiel and Jeremiel as variants or closely related figures.

Others treat them separately.

That is why a “seven archangels” chart may list Jeremiel where another lists Remiel.

Are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael the Only Biblical Archangels?

That depends on what someone means by “biblical.”

Michael is explicitly called an archangel in the New Testament.

Gabriel appears by name in Daniel and Luke but is not directly given the title “archangel” in those passages.

Raphael appears in Tobit, which belongs to the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canon but not the standard Protestant Old Testament.

Uriel and the remaining names appear mainly in ancient religious writings outside many modern biblical canons.

That is why different Christian traditions recognize different numbers and names of archangels.

Why Do Some Lists Have Completely Different Seven Archangels?

Eastern Christian traditions sometimes use lists including names such as:

• Michael
• Gabriel
• Raphael
• Uriel
• Selaphiel
• Jegudiel
• Barachiel

Some add an eighth figure, such as Jeremiel.

Modern New Age systems may instead use names such as:

• Chamuel
• Jophiel
• Zadkiel

Those systems also assign archangels to specific:

• Colors
• Crystals
• Chakras
• Days
• Planets
• Emotional needs

These associations should not automatically be presented as ancient biblical teachings.

They belong to later spiritual systems.

What Are the Seven Archangels’ Colors?

Modern spiritual traditions frequently associate the archangels with colors.

A common modern system might connect:

• Michael — blue
• Gabriel — white
• Raphael — green
• Uriel — red or gold

But color systems vary greatly.

There is no single biblical chart giving each of the seven archangels an official color.

If someone tells you that a particular archangel “must” have one specific color, they are usually describing a later devotional or esoteric tradition rather than a universal religious teaching.

Do the Archangels Have Symbols?

Artists have given the major archangels recognizable symbols over centuries.

Michael

Common symbols:

• Sword
• Armor
• Shield
• Dragon

Gabriel

Common symbols:

• Lily
• Trumpet
• Scroll

Raphael

Common symbols:

• Staff
• Fish
• Travel clothing

Uriel

Common symbols:

• Book
• Flame
• Scroll

The less commonly depicted archangels have less standardized imagery.

Their modern symbols usually reflect their attributed roles.

What Does “Archangel” Mean?

The word “archangel” means something like chief angel or principal angel.

The prefix “arch-” means chief or principal.

So an archangel is generally understood as an angel of particularly high rank or responsibility.

Popular culture often depicts archangels as the most powerful type of angel.

Traditional Christian angelology is more complicated.

Some medieval systems place archangels relatively low within a nine-order hierarchy that also includes:

• Seraphim
• Cherubim
• Thrones
• Dominions
• Virtues
• Powers
• Principalities
• Archangels
• Angels

Different traditions organize heavenly beings differently.

Are Archangels the Same as Guardian Angels?

Not usually.

Guardian angels are traditionally understood as angels who protect or guide particular people.

Archangels are broader heavenly figures with larger responsibilities.

Michael, for example, is associated with defending God’s people rather than being described simply as one individual’s guardian angel.

Modern spirituality sometimes blurs these categories, but traditional angelology usually distinguishes them.

Can You Pray to the Seven Archangels?

That depends strongly on religious tradition.

Catholic and Orthodox Christians may ask recognized saints and angels for intercession, though official traditions differ about which named angels should be invoked.

Many Protestant Christians pray directly to God rather than addressing angels.

Jewish traditions also vary considerably in how angelic figures are discussed and approached.

Modern spiritual practitioners may address archangels through meditation or prayer in ways that do not correspond closely with traditional Christianity or Judaism.

There is therefore no one universal practice.

Why Are Archangels So Popular in Modern Culture?

Archangels combine recognizable human concerns with supernatural symbolism.

Michael represents protection.

Gabriel represents communication.

Raphael represents healing.

Uriel represents wisdom.

Raguel represents justice.

Sariel represents guidance and accountability.

Remiel represents hope.

Those ideas remain meaningful even to people who approach the figures symbolically rather than devotionally.

Archangels therefore appear constantly in:

• Paintings
• Tattoos
• Jewelry
• Novels
• Video games
• Movies
• Anime
• Tarot-inspired art
• Spiritual communities

Their names have become cultural symbols as well as religious ones.

The Bottom Line

One traditional list of the seven archangels is:

Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Sariel, and Remiel.

Michael represents protection and courage.

Gabriel represents divine messages and communication.

Raphael represents healing and restoration.

Uriel represents wisdom and illumination.

Raguel represents justice and harmony.

Sariel represents guidance, discipline, and divine order.

Remiel represents hope, mercy, and resurrection.

But the list is not universal.

Different Jewish and Christian texts and traditions preserve different names, and only some of these angels appear in the biblical canons used by particular churches.

That is why two perfectly serious lists of “the seven archangels” may not match.

The names changed across traditions.

The central idea remained remarkably consistent:

heavenly messengers representing protection, revelation, healing, wisdom, justice, guidance, and hope.