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- Origin: Hebrew פצִיאֵל
- Meaning: “God is my cover; cover of God; speed of God.”
- Gender: masculine
- Pronunciation: Eng KAS-see-el
The name is derived from the Hebrew פצִיאֵל (Qaftzi’el), which is likely to mean “cover of God” or “God is my cover.” Other sources claim this name means “speed of God.” According to Judeo-Christian apocrypha, Cassiel is one of the 7 archangels. In the Hekhalot Rabbati, he is the one of the guardians of the doors of the 7th Heaven. In the Sefer Raziel, he is described as the Prince of Saturn, while in the Zohar, he is credited as being one of the aides of the Archangel Gabriel. He is also mentioned in the rabbinic literature of the Kabbalah. In Christian literature, he is mentioned in the grimoire known as The Sworn Book of Honorius as well as in Peter Abano’s Heptameron. He is mentioned in a Byzantine text regarding exorcism. He also appears as an archangel in mystic Islamic literature under the name كسفيائيل, Kasfiyāʼil.
Cassiel was traditionally believed to not have much input on the things that occur in the world of man, he was also considered the angel who presided over the death of kings as well as the angel of tears and the angel of temperance. His days are sometimes Thursday or Friday.
As a given-name, it has only come into occasional use the last century. It may have become even more widespread after its use in the Wim Wender 1987 film, Wings of Desire.
I could not find any strong evidence that this name has ever been used as a given-name among Jews or Muslims, though I don’t believe it is considered a forbidden name in either religion, more likely, the obscurity of the angel in the general populace of both religions has left the name obsolete.
Other forms include: Cafziel, Kafziel, Caphziel,Captiel, Cassael, Castiel, Qaspiel, Qephetzial, & Quaphsiel.
Forms in other languages include:
- Kasfiyāʼil كسفيائيل, (Arabic)
- Cassiël (Dutch)
- Cassiel (English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish)
- Qaftzi’el קפציאל (Hebrew)
Feminine forms include: Kasiela, Casiel(l)a, Qaftiziela (modern Hebrew); Cassielle (English, French), Cassiëlle (Dutch), Casiele (Brazilian-Portuguese).
Sources
Origin: Hebrew גַבְרִיאֵל Γαβριηλ
Gender: Masculine
Gender: Feminine
Gender: Masculine
Gender: Feminine
Gender: Feminine
As a result, the name became fairly common among South Eastern European royalty of the Middle Ages, one of whom, St. Angelina of Serbia (15th-century, CE), is revered as a saint in the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Gender: Masculine
Legitimate Baby Names 