Abel
Hebrew
“breath”
Mostly boys · Hebrew
“God has healed”
Say it RAF-eye-el; ra-fye-ELPronunciation may vary by region.
A little maybe, saved for later.
The story behind the name
US birth records for 2025 list 807 boys named Raphael (rank #394).
For boys, the recorded count rose from 751 in 2024 to 807 in 2025.
A little perspective
Recorded US births over time
| Year | Category | US rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Boys | 394 | 807 |
| 2024 | Boys | 420 | 751 |
| 2024 | Girls | 17,141 | 5 |
| 2023 | Boys | 453 | 686 |
| 2022 | Boys | 483 | 641 |
| 2021 | Boys | 538 | 548 |
| 2020 | Boys | 513 | 559 |
| 2019 | Boys | 523 | 545 |
| 2018 | Boys | 529 | 536 |
| 2017 | Boys | 516 | 561 |
| 2016 | Boys | 533 | 551 |
| 2015 | Boys | 537 | 533 |
| 2014 | Boys | 596 | 461 |
Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.
No nicknames are listed yet. The name can stand beautifully on its own.
We haven’t added verified variations for this spelling yet.
Keep the possibilities coming
More names with a similar feeling or shared roots.
Hebrew
“breath”
Hebrew
“my father is joyful”
Hebrew
“father of multitudes”
Hebrew
“son of the red earth”
Variation of Hannah, Hebrew
“grace”
Italian and Hebrew
“air; song or melody; lion”