Short answer
Yes, in the Hanafi school it is permissible to name a child Jibreel, Mikail or after another angel, though names of prophets and Abdullah or Abdur Rahman are better. Imam Malik disliked it, so the Maliki school differs. Naming a girl with a word for angels, such as Malak, is a separate question many scholars advise against.
Names of angels such as Jibril and Mikail are permissible because nothing forbids them and their meanings are good. They are not among the specially recommended names.
Other madhhabs
- Maliki
- Imam Malik disliked naming people after angels such as Jibril.
Explanation
No hadith forbids naming a child after an angel, and the general rule for names is permission when the meaning is good. Jibril and Mikail are named in the Quran, and names like Jibreel or Mikail have been used by Muslims, especially in South Asia and Africa. For this reason Hanafi muftis say they are permissible.
Points of caution:
- Better names exist: the Prophet ﷺ said the names most loved by Allah are Abdullah and Abdur Rahman, and he praised the names of prophets. An angel's name is allowed, not preferred.
- Respect: treat the name with honour, as with any name that refers to Allah's noble creation.
- "Malak" or "Malaika" for a girl: some scholars dislike naming a girl "angel", because the Quran criticises those who called the angels Allah's daughters. Others allow it as a word of praise. Choosing another name avoids the doubt.
- Satan or jinn names: not allowed.
For the full rules see best names and names to avoid. To learn about the angels see angels in Islam, and browse Islamic names.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:98
مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّۭا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَىٰلَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَدُوٌّۭ لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ ﴿٩٨﴾
Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael - then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.
Jibril and Mikail are named in the Quran.
Sahih Muslim 2132
Sahih... إن أحب أسمائكم إلى الله عبد الله وعبد الرحمن ...
"The most beloved of your names to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur Rahman."
Shows that other names are better than angels' names, though those are allowed.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyya, chapter on names and kunyas. General Hanafi rules on permitted names.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.