Girl · #3,065 in 2026

Rafaela

Name: Popularity of the name Rafaela in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Rafaela, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Rafaela is a city in Argentina, located in the central-west region of the Santa Fe Province. It serves as the head of the Castellanos Department and is the third most populous and significant urban center in the province, following Rosario and the provincial capital, Santa Fe. The city is known as "The Pearl of the West" due to its natural, cultural, and architectural beauty.

Current Rank

#3,065

Peak Rank

#789 (2011)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+16%

1887

First Year

2026

Last Year

2011

Peak Year

#789

Peak Rank

Total Count

135

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rafaela

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Rafaela

Rafaela first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1887, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 60 Rafaelas were born — ranking #2,867 that year. As of 2026, Rafaela ranks #3,065 for baby girls with 53 births, rising sharply (+16% over the past five years). In total, more than 4K Rafaelas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Rafaela

Phonetically similar names — useful when Rafaela is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Raphaela
Raffaele
Raffaello
Raphael
Rafael
Ruefully
Roffel
Romola
Raphaels
Rinella
Rosella
Ruffalo

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rafaela

What does the name Rafaela mean?

How popular is Rafaela in 2026?

In 2026, Rafaela ranks #3,065 among girls' names in the U.S., with 53 babies given the name that year.

When was Rafaela most popular?

Rafaela reached its peak popularity in 2011, ranking #789 that year with 60 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Rafaela most popular?

Rafaela has historically been most popular in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Rafaela.

Is Rafaela a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Rafaela is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Rafaela?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rafaela include Andrew, Euna, Vita. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Rafaela

Rafaela is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1887 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Rafaela's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #789. Use the chart and map above to compare Rafaela's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.