Rachel
How to say it: RAY-chul · /ˈreɪtʃəl/
From Hebrew 'Rachel', meaning 'ewe' (female sheep). A matriarch of Israel in the Bible, wife of Jacob.
Rachel was the 218th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 1,225 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1980s, its births are down about 39% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #255 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #218 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 1,225 |
| Share of births | 1 in 2,005 |
| Peak decade | 1980s |
| Change over 10 years | −39% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #255 |
| In France, 2025 | #281 among girls’ names, 170 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Huge in the 1980s, Rachel reached its peak then. Now far below that level, it is expected to continue slipping in the next few years.
What goes with it
Quietly soft and gentle, Rachel carries a biblical heritage. Rae works as a short form and Leah fits beside it in style.
Middle names that flow with Rachel →
Nicknames
- Rach
- Rae
Honouring a Rachel in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Rachel is about 1 in 84.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish.
In France: #281 for girls in 2025.
England and Wales: #395. Ireland: #188.
Famous people named Rachel
- Rachel Weisz (born 1970)British actress
- Rachel McAdams (born 1978)Canadian actress
- Rachel Carson (1907–1964)American marine biologist and conservationist
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) on Friends (1994-2004); iconic 90s character and hairstyle 'The Rachel'
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