Rael: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,529

among boys · ↓192 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Rael · -8% vs 2024

How common

1 in 32,228

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2024

72 babies

All-time total

660

#8,305 all-time among boys

First recorded

1971

in Social Security records

Rael popularity over time

660 babies have been named Rael since 1971, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1970s	5	8	13	1	–	#4,739
1980s	5	13	18	2	+38%	#5,945
1990s	46	23	69	7	+283%	#8,504
2000s	54	70	124	12	+80%	#6,377
2010s	51	114	165	17	+33%	#4,574
2020s (to 2025)	41	230	271	45	+174%	#2,337

Where Rael is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	61	0.04	outside top 500
2027	69	0.04	outside top 500
2028	77	0.05	outside top 500
2029	84	0.05	outside top 500
2030	91	0.05	outside top 500

The story of Rael

Rael is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,529 in 2025 with 53 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1971, 660 American babies have been named Rael, about 69% boys and 31% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2024, when 72 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Rael stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rael?

The median living Rael is about 8 years old; half are between 2 and 20. An estimated 700 people named Rael are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Rael year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	13	#8,237	53	#2,529
2024	11	#9,429	61	#2,337
2023	7	#13,153	26	#4,188
2022	10	#10,236	46	#2,821
2021	–	–	26	#4,099
2020	–	–	18	#5,185
2019	6	#15,171	19	#5,110
2018	–	–	22	#4,574
2017	–	–	21	#4,707
2016	6	#15,809	6	#11,804
2015	6	#15,980	7	#10,366
2014	6	#16,093	8	#9,411
2013	11	#10,097	10	#7,961
2012	8	#13,173	6	#11,925
2011	–	–	8	#9,398
2010	8	#13,188	7	#10,482
2009	6	#16,795	9	#8,829
2008	6	#16,997	8	#9,648
2007	8	#13,630	6	#12,020
2006	–	–	13	#6,377
2005	5	#18,513	7	#9,887
2004	–	–	7	#9,694
2003	9	#11,118	10	#7,112
2002	5	#17,480	–	–
2001	9	#10,806	5	#11,883
2000	6	#14,575	5	#11,722
1995	8	#10,265	–	–
1990	8	#9,919	–	–
1985	–	–	–	–
1980	–	–	6	#6,055
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Rael, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Rael?

The median living Rael is about 8 years old. Half of all living Raels are between 2 and 20 years old.

How many people named Rael are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Rael are alive in the United States, based on 660 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Rael in 2025?

Rael ranked #2,529 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 53 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rael?

660 babies have been named Rael in the United States since 1971, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rael most popular?

Rael peaked in 2024, when 72 newborns received the name.

Is Rael a boy or girl name?

Rael is used for both: about 31% of babies named Rael have been girls and 69% boys.

Is the name Rael rising or falling?

Rael is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Rael become more popular?

Rael is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 91 boys named Rael in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Rael

Names that sound and feel close to Rael: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Rael with similar names → More names starting with R →