Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Raphael

Say it RAF-ee-el 3 syllables

Hebrew · “God cures/has healed”

Loved in France. Common across Austria, five German cities, and Quebec. Rare across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 11 more places.

1 in 89 boys born in France in 2025. Number 4 there.

Raphael in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 1, common in 7, rare in 16.
Raphael in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales142 (up)20253681 in 7391822020
Scotland367 (up)202591 in 2,1825992020
Northern IrelandRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Ireland468 (up)202571 in 3,3905562020
North America
Ontario (province)207 (up)202483about 1 in 7212482019
Quebec (province)16 (down)2025324about 1 in 90132020
British Columbia (province)493 (down)20236about 1 in 2,1693992018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)Not in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Victoria (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
Queensland (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
South Australia (state)Not in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
New ZealandNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Western Europe
France (as Raphaël)4 (down)20253,4001 in 8932020
Netherlands395 (up)202564about 1 in 1,0405982020
Central Europe
Austria26 (down)20252841 in 134202020
Switzerland115 (up)20251011 in 3561312020
Berlin (city)60202348about 1 in 323602018
Munich (city)42 (down)202531about 1 in 141352020
Cologne (city)92 (down)202314about 1 in 456872018
Bonn (city)118 (up)20255about 1 in 6341262020
Leipzig (city)65 (up)20259about 1 in 320802020
Rostock (city)47 (up)20254about 1 in 2621352020
Nordic countries
Norway393 (new in the list)202571 in 3,326Not listed2020
Sweden437 (up)202514about 1 in 3,0814662020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
SpainNot in the published top 1002024Not listed2019
Catalonia (region)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Italy253 (new in the list)2024561 in 3,381Not listed2019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland445 (up)202571 in 18,0585822020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
SloveniaRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
IsraelRare: below the complete list2024Not listed2019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

In the Bible, Raphael is the name of an archangel. It comes from Latin and Greek, and from the Hebrew Rāfāʾēl, 'God cures' or 'God has healed'.

2 more paragraphs

It has three syllables, RAF-ee-el, and a warm, gentle sound. Rafe is a traditional English short form, and the spelling Raphaël is common. Related names include Rafael, Raffaele, Raffaello and Rafal.

Raphael is a leading name in France and popular in Quebec and Austria. In other English-speaking countries it is rarer, found in England and Wales and Ontario. French records put its peak in the mid-2010s, and it is rising in several places and falling in none.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
RAF-ee-el · 3 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 3.
Meaning
“God cures/has healed”
Origin
Hebrew
Spellings counted
Counted together with Raphael here: Raphaël.
Related names
Rafal, Rafael, Raffaele, Rafe, Raffaello, Rafaiil, Rafayel, Rafel, Rapolas, Rafaeli
Where Raphael comes from (Wiktionary)

From Latin Raphael, from Koine Greek Ῥᾱφᾱήλ (Rhāphāḗl), from Hebrew רָפָאֵל (Rāfāʾēl, literally “God cures/has healed”).

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Raphael. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Raphael over time

Rising in 7 of the 18 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 0. Peak in France: 2016.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Raphael in England and Wales: #427 in 1996, rising to a peak of #142 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300#1,000200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #427, 47 boys1997: #399, 56 boys1998: #437, 48 boys1999: #352, 66 boys2000: #372, 63 boys2001: #378, 63 boys2002: #350, 72 boys2003: #332, 82 boys2004: #272, 117 boys2005: #260, 128 boys2006: #255, 145 boys2007: #276, 145 boys2008: #244, 177 boys2009: #222, 204 boys2010: #239, 195 boys2011: #240, 199 boys2012: #236, 218 boys2013: #234, 221 boys2014: #231, 243 boys2015: #233, 245 boys2016: #235, 240 boys2017: #189, 289 boys2018: #183, 288 boys2019: #176, 299 boys2020: #182, 293 boys2021: #180, 293 boys2022: #163, 314 boys2023: #156, 339 boys2024: #158, 320 boys2025: #142, 368 boys#427 in 1996#142in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
199642747
199739956
199843748
199935266
200037263
200137863
200235072
200333282
2004272117
2005260128
2006255145
2007276145
2008244177
2009222204
2010239195
2011240199
2012236218
2013234221
2014231243
2015233245
2016235240
2017189289
2018183288
2019176299
2020182293
2021180293
2022163314
2023156339
2024158320
2025142368

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named Raphael in France since 1925 were born in or after 2006. Peak: 2016, about 1,366 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 72 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 61.2 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 50.3 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 46.6 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 34.6 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 41.5 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 53.9 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 86 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 174.4 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 393.3 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 439.4 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 375.9 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 418.2 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 442.9 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 527.3 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 584.8 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 1,035.4 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 1,096.3 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 1,329 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 1,164.4 per 100,000 boys20202025: 1,123.3 per 100,000 boys20252015-2019: about 1 in 75 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–192972
1930–193461.2
1935–193950.3
1940–194446.6
1945–194934.6
1950–195441.5
1955–195953.9
1960–196486
1965–1969174.4
1970–1974393.3
1975–1979439.4
1980–1984375.9
1985–1989418.2
1990–1994442.9
1995–1999527.3
2000–2004584.8
2005–20091,035.4
2010–20141,096.3
2015–20191,329
2020–20241,164.4
20251,123.3

Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Raphael

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Raphael, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 79, Italy

  2. 1 in 128, Austria

  3. 1 in 233, Catalonia

  4. 1 in 1,042, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 159, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 62, Poland

  7. 1 in 49, Italy

  8. 1 in 542, England and Wales

  9. 1 in 206, France

  10. 1 in 828, Northern Ireland

All 40 brother names for Raphael

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Raphael's 3 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 50, Ireland

  2. 1 in 187, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 118, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 105, Ireland

  6. 1 in 130, Scotland

  7. 1 in 67, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 136, Northern Ireland

Full-name check

Raphael Jack

Syllables 3-1Initials R.J.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Raphael

Sisters for Raphael: Lea, Elisa, Elsa, and 5 more
  1. LeaRose and fell with Raphael · Same generation as Raphael
  2. ElisaRose and fell with Raphael · Same generation as Raphael
  3. ElsaRose and fell with Raphael · Same generation as Raphael
  4. LouiseRose and fell with Raphael · Same generation as Raphael
  5. AliciaRose and fell with Raphael · Same generation as Raphael
  6. ClaraRose and fell with Raphael · Same generation as Raphael
  7. LeonieRose and fell with Raphael · Same generation as Raphael
  8. LinaRose and fell with Raphael · Same generation as Raphael

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Raphael

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Raphael's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Rare in all 24 places we hold figures for.

  2. Rare in all 24 places we hold figures for.

  3. Rare across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 15 more places.

  4. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 10 more places.

  5. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 17 more places.

  6. Rare across France, the UK, Poland, and 15 more places.

  7. Rare in all 24 places we hold figures for.

  8. Rare across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 15 more places.

Famous people named Raphael

Raphaël Varane, Raphaël Guerreiro, and 6 more

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Raphael

How popular is Raphael in England and Wales?

Raphael ranked #142 in England and Wales in 2025, given to 368 boys, about 1 in 739.

Is Raphael rising in popularity?

In some places: it is rising in more of them than it is falling. Rising in 7 of the 18 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 0. Rising in: Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales, Ontario, Norway, and 2 other regions.

What does Raphael mean?

Raphael means “God cures/has healed”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Raphael have?

Raphael has 3 syllables: RAF-ee-el.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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