Rafael
Boy · RAF-ay-el · Hebrew
Rafael is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God heals”. In 2025 it ranked 207th for boys in the UK (273 babies) and 218th for boys in the US (1,639 babies).
What does Rafael mean?
Hebrew: Spanish and Portuguese form of Raphael
“God heals”
Raphael is an archangel in the Book of Tobit; the Renaissance painter Raphael is a famous bearer.
- Say it
- RAF-ay-el
More on Wiktionary.
Is Rafael a girl's or a boy's name?
Rafael is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 273 boys in the UK and 1,639 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Rafael in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #207among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 273about 1 in 1,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 5% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.3%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 273 boys in the UK were named Rafael, making it the 207th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 197th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 300 boys.
Half of all the boys named Rafael in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 656 boys in the UK were given Rafael or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #98, up from #207 for this spelling alone.
Among boys in 2025, it was 189th in England and Wales and 441st in Scotland.
Rafael in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 273 | #207 |
| 2024 | 235 | #233 |
| 2023 | 269 | #206 |
| 2022 | 300 | #192 |
| 2021 | 294 | #204 |
| 2020 | 285 | #197 |
| 2019 | 265 | #219 |
| 2018 | 269 | #221 |
| 2017 | 233 | #255 |
| 2016 | 240 | #256 |
| 2015 | 207 | #278 |
| 2014 | 177 | #300 |
| 2013 | 198 | #273 |
| 2012 | 188 | #281 |
| 2011 | 165 | #310 |
| 2010 | 182 | #288 |
| 2009 | 183 | #274 |
| 2008 | 150 | #308 |
| 2007 | 126 | #336 |
| 2006 | 94 | #404 |
| 2005 | 72 | #448 |
| 2004 | 49 | #583 |
| 2003 | 39 | #636 |
| 2002 | 35 | #625 |
| 2001 | 25 | #768 |
| 2000 | 23 | #812 |
| 1999 | 18 | #930 |
| 1998 | 17 | #951 |
| 1997 | 19 | #864 |
| 1996 | 10 | #1,290 |
How popular is Rafael in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #218among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,639about 1 in 1,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 13% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.3%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,639 boys in the US were named Rafael, making it the 218th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 246th. Its busiest year was 2006, with 1,702 boys.
2025 had more boys named Rafael than any year since 2006.
Half of all the boys named Rafael in the US since 1880 were born between 1976 and 2009, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 2,455 boys in the US were given Rafael or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #166, up from #218 for this spelling alone.
Rafael in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,639 | #218 |
| 2024 | 1,621 | #222 |
| 2023 | 1,517 | #231 |
| 2022 | 1,517 | #232 |
| 2021 | 1,490 | #237 |
| 2020 | 1,424 | #246 |
| 2019 | 1,392 | #261 |
| 2018 | 1,405 | #258 |
| 2017 | 1,282 | #283 |
| 2016 | 1,238 | #291 |
| 2015 | 1,226 | #293 |
| 2014 | 1,205 | #293 |
| 2013 | 1,208 | #287 |
| 2012 | 1,231 | #286 |
| 2011 | 1,274 | #274 |
| 2010 | 1,333 | #257 |
| 2009 | 1,345 | #257 |
| 2008 | 1,541 | #240 |
| 2007 | 1,622 | #228 |
| 2006 | 1,702 | #217 |
| 2005 | 1,492 | #228 |
| 2004 | 1,544 | #224 |
| 2003 | 1,411 | #236 |
| 2002 | 1,453 | #231 |
| 2001 | 1,455 | #232 |
| 2000 | 1,472 | #230 |
| 1999 | 1,438 | #229 |
| 1998 | 1,386 | #229 |
| 1997 | 1,360 | #227 |
| 1996 | 1,399 | #215 |
| 1995 | 1,459 | #205 |
| 1994 | 1,431 | #202 |
| 1993 | 1,427 | #211 |
| 1992 | 1,484 | #208 |
| 1991 | 1,483 | #210 |
| 1990 | 1,503 | #201 |
| 1989 | 1,322 | #213 |
| 1988 | 1,285 | #206 |
| 1987 | 1,217 | #207 |
| 1986 | 1,211 | #203 |
| 1985 | 1,250 | #195 |
| 1984 | 1,147 | #204 |
| 1983 | 1,186 | #201 |
| 1982 | 1,255 | #199 |
| 1981 | 1,213 | #204 |
| 1980 | 1,188 | #208 |
| 1979 | 1,025 | #222 |
| 1978 | 996 | #218 |
| 1977 | 1,033 | #215 |
| 1976 | 976 | #215 |
| 1975 | 986 | #215 |
| 1974 | 930 | #226 |
| 1973 | 906 | #232 |
| 1972 | 927 | #232 |
| 1971 | 866 | #257 |
| 1970 | 947 | #245 |
| 1969 | 818 | #255 |
| 1968 | 768 | #259 |
| 1967 | 669 | #278 |
| 1966 | 620 | #297 |
| 1965 | 615 | #304 |
| 1964 | 582 | #324 |
| 1963 | 526 | #337 |
| 1962 | 565 | #332 |
| 1961 | 581 | #326 |
| 1960 | 541 | #334 |
| 1959 | 509 | #345 |
| 1958 | 503 | #342 |
| 1957 | 388 | #389 |
| 1956 | 448 | #348 |
| 1955 | 417 | #352 |
| 1954 | 420 | #348 |
| 1953 | 329 | #383 |
| 1952 | 366 | #354 |
| 1951 | 275 | #410 |
| 1950 | 299 | #388 |
| 1949 | 260 | #421 |
| 1948 | 265 | #415 |
| 1947 | 239 | #436 |
| 1946 | 196 | #452 |
| 1945 | 172 | #453 |
| 1944 | 176 | #458 |
| 1943 | 140 | #533 |
| 1942 | 148 | #503 |
| 1941 | 119 | #546 |
| 1940 | 118 | #541 |
| 1939 | 111 | #544 |
| 1938 | 111 | #548 |
| 1937 | 106 | #563 |
| 1936 | 117 | #527 |
| 1935 | 124 | #517 |
| 1934 | 132 | #501 |
| 1933 | 130 | #491 |
| 1932 | 167 | #434 |
| 1931 | 190 | #407 |
| 1930 | 214 | #392 |
| 1929 | 209 | #403 |
| 1928 | 215 | #410 |
| 1927 | 201 | #428 |
| 1926 | 166 | #467 |
| 1925 | 178 | #451 |
| 1924 | 174 | #465 |
| 1923 | 149 | #499 |
| 1922 | 146 | #510 |
| 1921 | 139 | #528 |
| 1920 | 124 | #549 |
| 1919 | 108 | #576 |
| 1918 | 80 | #706 |
| 1917 | 76 | #694 |
| 1916 | 73 | #695 |
| 1915 | 67 | #725 |
| 1914 | 57 | #673 |
| 1913 | 51 | #615 |
| 1912 | 42 | #649 |
| 1911 | 25 | #605 |
| 1910 | 29 | #524 |
| 1909 | 21 | #574 |
| 1908 | 22 | #541 |
| 1907 | 18 | #591 |
| 1906 | 21 | #489 |
| 1905 | 17 | #574 |
| 1904 | 22 | #452 |
| 1903 | 13 | #619 |
| 1902 | 10 | #743 |
| 1901 | 16 | #487 |
| 1900 | 12 | #742 |
| 1899 | 10 | #661 |
| 1898 | 8 | #803 |
| 1897 | 12 | #615 |
| 1896 | 7 | #899 |
| 1895 | 11 | #640 |
| 1894 | 8 | #786 |
| 1893 | 6 | #906 |
| 1892 | 7 | #860 |
| 1891 | 6 | #840 |
| 1890 | 9 | #667 |
| 1889 | 8 | #722 |
| 1888 | 9 | #704 |
| 1887 | 8 | #679 |
| 1886 | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 6 | #835 |
| 1884 | 5 | #971 |
| 1883 | 7 | #720 |
| 1882 | 6 | #836 |
| 1881 | 9 | #595 |
| 1880 | 7 | #745 |
Nicknames for Rafael
Names like Rafael
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Gabriel Nathaniel Zachary Tobias Abel Elias Joey Isaiah Elijah Caleb Toby Jonah
Other spellings of Rafael
Names related to Rafael
More Hebrew names
Noah Isabella James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Mateo Elsie