Hebrew compound name meaning 'God is my righteousness' or 'justice of God,' combining 'tzedek' (justice) and 'El' (God).
Zadiel belongs to a family of angelic names with roots in Jewish mystical tradition — specifically in the rich angelological literature that developed through the Second Temple period, the Talmudic era, and into medieval Kabbalah. Its closest established relative is Zadkiel (also written Tzadkiel), the angel of freedom, benevolence, and mercy in Jewish and Christian angelic hierarchies. The name Zadkiel appears in texts like the Third Book of Enoch and in later mystical literature; he is associated with the planet Jupiter, with divine compassion, and with the biblical story of Abraham, whom Zadkiel reportedly stayed from sacrificing Isaac.
The root 'Tzadok' or 'Tzadiq' means righteous or just in Hebrew — so names in this family carry the implicit meaning of 'God is my righteousness' or 'the righteousness of God.' Zadiel may be understood as either a variant spelling of Zadkiel or a distinct but related angelic name from the same tradition, sharing the root and the '-el' theophoric suffix (meaning God) that marks it unmistakably as a name from the Abrahamic angelological tradition. The '-el' suffix appears across Hebrew names — Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel — each built on a root attribute of God.
Zadiel's root suggests justice, righteousness, or the quality of being upright. In contemporary use, Zadiel has been embraced by parents drawn to rare angelic names with genuine mystical depth — those who want something that sounds both ancient and singular. Its sound, ZAY-dee-el, is strong and memorable. As interest in Kabbalah, Abrahamic mysticism, and angel lore has grown in popular culture, names like Zadiel have moved from esoteric obscurity to quiet viability, carrying their ancient freight lightly into the present.