Rafael

Rafael is a boy's name of Hebrew and Biblical origin meaning “God heals.” In 2024 it was given to 1,614 boys in the United States.

Rafael at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
Biblical & Christian
Meaning
“God heals”
Also spelled
Raphael

About the name Rafael

Rafael belongs to the Biblical & Christian tradition. Its meaning — “God heals” — is the sense carried by its Hebrew and Biblical roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Raphael.

In the United States, Rafael first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #195 in 1985, and in 2024 1,614 babies received the name — 87,725 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Rafael in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#195 in 1985
Peak year
2006
Babies named Rafael in 2024
1,614
Total since 1880
87,725

Spellings & short forms

Similar names

More names from the Biblical & Christian shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Rafael mean?

Rafael means “God heals” in its Hebrew and Biblical roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Rafael a boy or girl name?

Rafael is a boy name. In 2024, 1,614 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Rafael?

Rafael comes from the Biblical & Christian tradition. It is also spelled Raphael.

How popular is the name Rafael?

Rafael first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #195 in 1985, and 1,614 babies were given the name in 2024.

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.