Boy · #408 in 2026

Raphael

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

Raphael is a given name derived from the Hebrew rāp̄ā'ēl (רָפָאֵל) meaning "God has healed". Raphael is one of the archangels according to Abrahamic tradition. The angel Raphael appears in the Book of Tobit, considered deuterocanonical by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches and apocryphal by Protestants.

Current Rank

#408

Peak Rank

#408 (2026)

Total Babies

25K

5-Yr Trend

+31%

1908

First Year

2024

Last Year

1979

Peak Year

#5427

Peak Rank

323

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Raphael

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 Raphael

Raphael first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 780 Raphaels were born — ranking #408 that year. As of 2026, Raphael ranks #408 for baby boys with 780 births, rising sharply (+31% over the past five years). In total, more than 25K Raphaels 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 Raphael

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

Rafael
Rafaela
Raffaele
Raffaello
Roffel
Refile
Raphaela
Rifle
Refill
Raffle
Referral
Ruffle

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Raphael

What does the name Raphael mean?

How popular is Raphael in 2026?

In 2026, Raphael ranks #408 among boys' names in the U.S., with 780 babies given the name that year.

When was Raphael most popular?

Raphael reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #408 that year with 780 babies given the name.

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

Raphael has historically been most popular in Hawaii, North Dakota, Alaska. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Raphael.

Is Raphael a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Raphael?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Raphael include Jamison, Darron, Deshawn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Raphael

Raphael is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 25K births in the dataset. Raphael's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #408. Use the chart and map above to compare Raphael'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.