Rafael
A male given name, variant of Raphael.
Every Rafael since 1880 — 89,947 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Rafael
Rafael is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #218 in 2025 with 1,639 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 89,947 American babies have been named Rafael. Its peak came in 2006, when 1,710 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2000s.
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 Rafael stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Rafael 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 | — | — | 1,639 | #218 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,621 | #222 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,517 | #231 |
| 2022 | — | — | 1,517 | #232 |
| 2021 | — | — | 1,490 | #237 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,424 | #247 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,392 | #261 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,405 | #258 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,282 | #283 |
| 2016 | — | — | 1,238 | #291 |
| 2015 | — | — | 1,226 | #294 |
| 2014 | — | — | 1,205 | #293 |
| 2013 | — | — | 1,208 | #288 |
| 2012 | — | — | 1,231 | #287 |
| 2011 | — | — | 1,274 | #274 |
| 2010 | — | — | 1,333 | #258 |
| 2009 | 7 | #14,865 | 1,345 | #257 |
| 2008 | 6 | #17,003 | 1,541 | #240 |
| 2007 | — | — | 1,622 | #228 |
| 2006 | 8 | #13,326 | 1,702 | #217 |
| 2005 | 5 | #18,517 | 1,492 | #228 |
| 2004 | 7 | #13,852 | 1,544 | #224 |
| 2003 | 8 | #12,130 | 1,411 | #236 |
| 2002 | 9 | #10,882 | 1,453 | #231 |
| 2001 | 6 | #14,892 | 1,455 | #233 |
| 2000 | — | — | 1,472 | #230 |
| 1995 | 10 | #8,575 | 1,459 | #205 |
| 1990 | 10 | #8,346 | 1,503 | #202 |
| 1985 | 16 | #4,802 | 1,250 | #195 |
| 1980 | 19 | #4,104 | 1,188 | #208 |
| 1975 | 9 | #6,314 | 986 | #215 |
| 1970 | 9 | #5,705 | 947 | #245 |
| 1965 | 9 | #4,746 | 615 | #304 |
| 1960 | — | — | 541 | #334 |
| 1955 | 5 | #6,501 | 417 | #353 |
| 1950 | — | — | 299 | #389 |
| 1945 | — | — | 172 | #453 |
| 1940 | — | — | 118 | #542 |
| 1935 | — | — | 124 | #519 |
| 1930 | — | — | 214 | #394 |
| 1925 | — | — | 178 | #451 |
| 1920 | — | — | 124 | #550 |
| 1915 | — | — | 67 | #730 |
| 1910 | — | — | 29 | #532 |
| 1905 | — | — | 17 | #586 |
| 1900 | — | — | 12 | #774 |
| 1895 | — | — | 11 | #668 |
| 1890 | — | — | 9 | #724 |
| 1885 | — | — | 6 | #917 |
| 1880 | — | — | 7 | #793 |
Famous people named Rafael
- Rafael Trujillo Politician · 1891–1961
- Rafael Correa Politician · b. 1963
- Rafael Bombelli Mathematician · 1526–1573
- Rafael del Riego Politician · 1784–1823
- Rafael Kubelík Conductor · 1914–1996
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Rafael mean?
A male given name, variant of Raphael.
How popular is the name Rafael in 2025?
Rafael ranked #218 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,639 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Rafael?
89,947 babies have been named Rafael in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Rafael most popular?
Rafael peaked in 2006, when 1,710 newborns received the name.
Is Rafael a boy or girl name?
Rafael is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Rafael rising or falling?
Rafael is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Rafael?
Well-known people named Rafael include Rafael Trujillo (politician), Rafael Correa (politician), Rafael Bombelli (mathematician).