Rafael
Meaning: “God has healed”
About the name Rafael
Rafael is a boy name with Hebrew roots, meaning “God has healed”. It is related to Raphael, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a classic feel. In 2025, Rafael ranked #218 for boys in the US, with 1,639 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2006. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Rafael were boys.
Etymology
A variant of Raphael, which comes from Biblical Hebrew, meaning literally “God cures/has healed”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Rafael”, “Raphael”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #218
- In 2015
- #294
- Babies in 2025
- 1,639
Popularity of Rafael, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Rafael
- Rafa
Names similar to Rafael
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.