I prefer
Angela. I wouldn't say it's no-frills - it's frillier than
Ann or
Gillian, and it is appealingly feminine. But it's down-to-earth, too, like
Joanna or
Maria.
I think it doesn't seem elaborate/pretty enough for current style, only because it has been popular in the past. If it hadn't been, it would seem that way - right alongside
Emilia and
Sofia. As it is, it feels more in the style of
Nicola and
Carola.
Angelica has the exact sound of the word "angelic" in it, so it seems over-the-top to me. It's bordering on being like Heavenly or
Miracle. Also the shape of the word makes me think of nouns like harmonica, antarctica, sciatica, erotica so it doesn't seem quite namey enough, it's straining to be a name.
Angela doesn't sound like "angel" enough to have that problem, for me.
- mirfak