Rafael
Boy nameRafael has been given to 89,947 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 2006 and currently ranks #218 for boys (2025).
Meaning & origin
Compare Spanish Rafael, Portuguese Rafael.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
89,947
Peak year
2006 (1,710 babies)
Rank in 2025
#218 for boys
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▲ +34%
Gender split
1% girls / 99% boys
Famous people named Rafael
Rafael Menestra
President of Ecuador (2007 - 2017) y Prófugo de la Justicia
Rafael Nadal
Spanish tennis player (born 1986)
Ted Cruz
American politician (born 1970)
Rafael van der Vaart
Dutch association football player (born 1983)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Rafael.
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