Girl name · Hebrew
Rachel
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: ewe, female sheepRachel is a girl's name that comes from Hebrew and means "ewe, female sheep". It is used in English, French and Hebrew.
- Meaning
- Ewe, female sheep
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #250 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Rachel
As a girl's name, Rachel comes from Hebrew and means "ewe, female sheep". It is used in English, French and Hebrew.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Rachel on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Rachel on 1 list.
“Ewe; Hebrew. Beloved wife of Jacob, Genesis”
From Biblical names, female biblical names
How popular is Rachel?
- US rank in 2025
- #250
- 1,225 babies, 762 per million girls
- Best rank
- #9 in 1996
- Most babies: 16,360 in 1985
- Babies since 1880
- At least 573,957
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 1,621 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,476 per million |
| 1900s | 1,357 per million |
| 1910s | 1,285 per million |
| 1920s | 1,188 per million |
| 1930s | 1,151 per million |
| 1940s | 926 per million |
| 1950s | 872 per million |
| 1960s | 1,467 per million |
| 1970s | 5,032 per million |
| 1980s | 8,540 per million |
| 1990s | 8,285 per million |
| 2000s | 3,702 per million |
| 2010s | 1,204 per million |
| 2020s | 779 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #171 | #191 | #198 | #191 | #226 | #239 | #240 | #254 | #246 | #250 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Rachel
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- LahelaEwe, female sheep (Hebrew, girl)
- RáichéalEwe (Hebrew, girl)
- RaquelEwe, female sheep (Hebrew, girl)
Names spelled like Rachel
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- RaiselLittle rose (Yiddish, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
Middle names for Rachel
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- JaneGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- JoanGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- MercyCompassion, forgiveness (Latin, girl)
- NaomiPleasantness, sweetness (Hebrew, girl)
- PoppyPoppy flower (Old English, girl)
More girl names from Hebrew
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- EvaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- AnneFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielaGod is my judge (Hebrew, girl)
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- HannahFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabelGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabellaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- JudithWoman of judea (Hebrew, girl)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- SaraPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- AnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- ArielLion of God (Hebrew, unisex)
- ElisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
Rachel: common questions
What does the name Rachel mean?
Rachel comes from Hebrew and means "ewe, female sheep". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Rachel a boy or girl name?
Rachel is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Rachel come from?
Rachel comes from Hebrew and means "ewe, female sheep". Today it is used in English, French and Hebrew.
How popular is the name Rachel?
Rachel ranked #250 in the US in 2025, with 1,225 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Rachel?
Forms of Rachel with the same meaning and origin include Lahela (Hawaiian), Ráichéal (Irish) and Raquel (Spanish).
What middle names go with Rachel?
Middle names that flow well with Rachel include Alice, Blair, Jane, Joan and Lily. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.