Rafaella: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,437

among girls · ↓419 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Rafaella · -14% vs 2024

How common

1 in 50,227

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2022

49 babies

All-time total

789

#8,823 all-time among girls

First recorded

1986

in Social Security records

Rafaella popularity over time

789 babies have been named Rafaella since 1986, 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

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	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	13	1	–	#8,286
1990s	61	6	+369%	#7,401
2000s	173	17	+184%	#4,915
2010s	315	32	+82%	#3,837
2020s (to 2025)	227	38	+20%	#3,307

Where Rafaella is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls	Implied rank
2026	32	0.02	outside top 500
2027	33	0.02	outside top 500
2028	33	0.02	outside top 500
2029	34	0.02	outside top 500
2030	34	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Rafaella

Rafaella is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,437 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1986, 789 American babies have been named Rafaella. Its peak came in 2022, when 49 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 Rafaella stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rafaella?

The median living Rafaella is about 10 years old; half are between 5 and 18. An estimated 800 people named Rafaella 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.

Rafaella year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	32	#4,437
2024	37	#4,018
2023	43	#3,631
2022	49	#3,307
2021	32	#4,391
2020	34	#4,141
2019	34	#4,245
2018	35	#4,129
2017	34	#4,291
2016	40	#3,837
2015	27	#5,090
2014	29	#4,873
2013	22	#5,964
2012	32	#4,577
2011	32	#4,547
2010	30	#4,834
2009	22	#6,258
2008	18	#7,333
2007	30	#4,915
2006	17	#7,418
2005	21	#5,956
2004	11	#9,760
2003	14	#7,900
2002	17	#6,628
2001	14	#7,638
2000	9	#10,538
1995	12	#7,401
1990	6	#12,499
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
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 Rafaella, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Rafaella?

The median living Rafaella is about 10 years old. Half of all living Rafaellas are between 5 and 18 years old.

How many people named Rafaella are alive today?

An estimated 800 people named Rafaella are alive in the United States, based on 789 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Rafaella in 2025?

Rafaella ranked #4,437 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rafaella?

789 babies have been named Rafaella in the United States since 1986, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rafaella most popular?

Rafaella peaked in 2022, when 49 newborns received the name.

Is Rafaella a boy or girl name?

Rafaella is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Rafaella rising or falling?

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

Will Rafaella become more popular?

Rafaella looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 34 girls named Rafaella in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Rafaella

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

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