NamelingSwipe names

Raphael

Gender
Boy
Say it
RAF-ay-el
Origin
Hebrew
UK rank, 2025
#161 for boys
US rank, 2025
#394 for boys

Raphael is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God heals”. In 2025 it ranked 161st for boys in the UK (377 babies) and 394th for boys in the US (807 babies).

What does Raphael mean?

Hebrew: from Rephael

“God heals”

Raphael is one of the archangels, named in the Book of Tobit; the Renaissance painter Raphael is a famous bearer.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Raphael a girl's or a boy's name?

Raphael is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 377 boys in the UK and 807 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Raphael in the UK?

Rank in 2025
161st among boys
Babies in 2025
377 about 1 in 800 boys
Five-year trend
Steady up 17% in five years
Same name in a class
1.7% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 377 boys in the UK were named Raphael, making it the 161st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 190th.

2025 had the most boys named Raphael of any year since the records began in 1996.

Half of all the boys named Raphael in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 656 boys in the UK were given Raphael or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #98, up from #161 for this spelling alone.

Among boys in 2025, it was 142nd in England and Wales and 367th in Scotland.

1996Busiest: 377 in 20252025
Raphael in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025377#161
2024335#172
2023344#167
2022318#179
2021303#198
2020297#190
2019308#185
2018296#199
2017296#207
2016245#248
2015249#252
2014252#249
2013226#250
2012222#252
2011203#262
2010198#267
2009211#242
2008181#266
2007146#299
2006150#276
2005130#286
2004118#298
200382#359
200272#379
200164#412
200063#405
199966#384
199849#473
199756#429
199647#451

How popular is Raphael in the US?

Rank in 2025
394th among boys
Babies in 2025
807 about 1 in 2,100 boys
Five-year trend
Rising up 37% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 807 boys in the US were named Raphael, making it the 394th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 512th. It first appears in the records in 1882.

It has been given to more boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had the most boys named Raphael of any year since it first appeared, in 1882.

Half of all the boys named Raphael in the US since 1880 were born between 1973 and 2016, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 2,455 boys in the US were given Raphael or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #166, up from #394 for this spelling alone.

1882Busiest: 807 in 20252025
Raphael in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025807#394
2024751#420
2023686#451
2022641#483
2021548#537
2020559#512
2019545#523
2018536#529
2017561#516
2016551#533
2015533#535
2014461#596
2013423#598
2012387#628
2011356#665
2010369#653
2009400#623
2008397#622
2007333#700
2006331#681
2005316#668
2004304#670
2003253#724
2002269#681
2001266#680
2000304#617
1999268#644
1998256#666
1997260#640
1996254#655
1995251#658
1994261#641
1993270#623
1992311#575
1991371#516
1990450#463
1989303#552
1988303#523
1987253#567
1986268#545
1985256#548
1984208#587
1983179#641
1982191#627
1981167#663
1980158#690
1979157#681
1978171#642
1977182#621
1976182#603
1975181#604
1974162#631
1973192#573
1972180#595
1971187#611
1970168#625
1969153#643
1968130#660
1967105#723
1966110#706
196596#753
196498#768
196399#766
1962107#741
1961116#710
196093#795
195997#775
195899#739
195797#761
195694#755
195593#755
1954110#687
195381#795
195286#760
195171#832
195065#843
194969#820
194883#736
194769#835
194664#819
194561#791
194448#918
194358#875
194268#780
194163#786
194072#718
193969#717
193850#883
193763#771
193669#719
193553#858
193459#808
193371#721
193272#735
193185#643
193097#625
192996#620
192899#613
192790#677
192681#709
192599#639
1924108#613
192394#660
1922130#554
1921101#637
1920103#623
191998#612
1918100#615
191785#645
1916117#528
1915100#569
191495#503
191368#520
191255#539
191130#548
191019#677
190912#840
190824#513
190719#559
190613#674
190513#666
190410#760
19039#783
190215#555
190113#559
19008#967
189910#661
189813#610
189713#584
18969#778
18959#738
18949#729
189311#615
189213#571
18919#635
18900–
188911#581
18880–
18875#921
18867#758
18850–
18840–
18830–
18825#942

Nicknames for Raphael

Names like Raphael

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Gabriel, Tobias, Nathaniel, Elias, Elijah, Isaiah, Roman, Levi, Eli, Abel, Jonah, Zachary

Other spellings of Raphael

Rafael, Raffael

Names related to Raphael

Rapheal

More Hebrew names

Noah, Isabella, James, Jack, Mia, Ava, Jude, Ezra, Benjamin, Isaac, Jacob, Ethan, Daniel, Samuel, Mateo, Elsie

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Raphael: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/raphael, updated 20 October 2026.