Raphael
How to say it: ruh-FAY-ul · /rəˈfeɪəl/
From Hebrew Rafa'el meaning 'God has healed'; name of an archangel in Abrahamic tradition.
Raphael was the 164th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 807 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 39% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #132 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #164 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 807 |
| Share of births | 1 in 1,355 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +39% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #132 |
| In France, 2025 | #2 among boys’ names, 3,400 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Raphael keeps ascending and now stands tallest in the 2020s. The current peak may give way to further gains soon.
What goes with it
Gentle and airy with soft consonants, Raphael carries biblical resonance and travels easily. Gabriel matches its cadence.
Middle names that flow with Raphael →
Nicknames
- Rafa
- Rafe
- Rapha
- Ray
Honouring a Raphael in the family
- Rafepet form
- Raypet form
- Rafaelequivalent
- Raffaelloequivalent
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Raphael is about 1 in 57.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Norwegian, Swedish.
In France: #2 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #143. Ireland: #499.
Famous people named Raphael
- Raphael Warnock (born 1969)American pastor and politician
- Raphael Lemkin (1900–1959)Polish Jewish lawyer
- Raphael Holzdeppe (born 1989)German pole vaulter
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Nicknamed Raph; one of the four main characters of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise
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