Raphael
Raphael was the 394th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 807 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 143 places. More babies were named Raphael in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Rafael) God has healed · Hebrew, Spanish
- Rank in 2025
- #394 boys, up 119 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 807boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025807 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,581babies recorded
What does the name Raphael mean?
Raphael is a spelling of Rafael, pronounced the same way, so it shares Rafael's meaning and origin.
Rafael is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Raphael, one of the archangels. The Hebrew Refa'el combines a verb meaning 'to heal' with El, 'God'; DMNES glosses it 'God has healed', and Wikipedia gives 'God has healed' or 'God heals'. Rafa is a common Spanish short form, and Raffaele is the Italian form. Raphael, with ph, is the English and French spelling of the same name.
רְפָאֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “Refa'el, God has healed”)רפא (Hebrew, “to heal”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Raphael, Rafa, Raffaele, Raphaël.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Raphael', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rafael', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Rafael (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Raphael popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 323 since 1908.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #394 | 807 |
| 2020 | #513 | 559 |
| 2010 | #653 | 369 |
| 2000 | #619 | 304 |
| 1990 | #465 | 450 |
| 1980 | #692 | 158 |
| 1970 | #626 | 168 |
| 1960 | #796 | 93 |
| 1950 | #848 | 65 |
| 1940 | #723 | 72 |
| 1930 | #625 | 97 |
| 1920 | #626 | 103 |
| 1910 | #700 | 19 |
| 1900 | #1,031 | 8 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Raphael, counting every spelling?
Raphael is a spelling of Rafael, a name family that ranked #161 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #394 for Raphael on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,455 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rafael | 1,639 | #218 | 7,784 |
| Raphael | 807 | #394 | 3,433 |
| Raffael | 9 | #8,761 | 52 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Raphael?
807 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Raphael (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Raphael born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Raphael.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Raphael?
About 20,200 people born in the US named Raphael are alive today, with a median age of 21; half are between 9 and 38. That makes Raphael mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Raphael by state
How common Raphael was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (4.9×), New York (2.0×), Massachusetts (1.9×), New Jersey (1.9×), Nevada (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Raphael: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Raphael, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Raphael
What does Raphael mean?
Raphael is a spelling of Rafael, which means “God has healed” (Hebrew, Spanish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Raphael?
Raphael was the 394th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 807 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 143 places. More babies were named Raphael in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Raphael a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Raphael in the US.
Where is Raphael most popular?
In 2021–2025, Raphael was most common in District of Columbia (1.97 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Massachusetts.