Boy name · Hebrew
Raphael
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: God healsRaphael is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "God heals". It is used in English, French and German.
- Meaning
- God heals
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #394 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Raphael
As a boy's name, Raphael comes from Hebrew and means "God heals". It is used in English, French and German. In French it is spelled Raphaël.
In French, say rah-fah-EL. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Raphael on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Raphael on 6 lists.
“God heals; Hebrew. The healing archangel of the Book of Tobit”
From Angelic names, archangel names for boys
“God heals; Hebrew. Archangel in the Book of Tobit (in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles)”
From Biblical names, names that honor God
“God heals; Hebrew. The archangel of healing”
From Classic boy names, classic biblical boy names
“God heals; Hebrew, an archangel and a Renaissance painter”
From Cute boy names, cute biblical boy names
“God heals; Hebrew. No. 4 in France in 2025. Say rah-fah-EL”
From French boy names, popular French boys' names right now
“God heals; Hebrew. Say RAH-fah-el”
From German boy names, biblical and saints' names in German
How popular is Raphael?
- US rank in 2025
- #394
- 807 babies, 472 per million boys
- Best rank
- #394 in 2025
- 807 babies that year
- Babies since 1882
- At least 24,258
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 26 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 84 per million |
| 1900s | 100 per million |
| 1910s | 115 per million |
| 1920s | 91 per million |
| 1930s | 65 per million |
| 1940s | 44 per million |
| 1950s | 44 per million |
| 1960s | 57 per million |
| 1970s | 107 per million |
| 1980s | 124 per million |
| 1990s | 152 per million |
| 2000s | 159 per million |
| 2010s | 251 per million |
| 2020s | 385 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #533 | #516 | #529 | #523 | #513 | #538 | #483 | #453 | #420 | #394 |
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 Raphael
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- LelloGod heals (Hebrew, boy)
- RafaelGod heals (Hebrew, boy)
- RafailGod heals (Hebrew, boy)
- RafałGod heals (Hebrew, boy)
- RaffaeleGod heals (Hebrew, boy)
- RefaelGod heals (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- RafaelaGod heals (Hebrew, girl)
- RaffaellaGod heals (Hebrew, girl)
- RaphaelaGod heals (Hebrew, girl)
- RaphaëlleGod heals (Hebrew, girl)
Middle names for Raphael
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
Raphael: common questions
What does the name Raphael mean?
Raphael comes from Hebrew and means "God heals".
Is Raphael a boy or girl name?
Raphael is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Raphael come from?
Raphael comes from Hebrew and means "God heals". Today it is used in English, French and German.
How popular is the name Raphael?
Raphael ranked #394 in the US in 2025, with 807 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Raphael?
Forms of Raphael with the same meaning and origin include Lello (Italian), Rafael (Spanish), Rafail (Russian), Rafał (Polish) and Raffaele (Italian).
What middle names go with Raphael?
Middle names that flow well with Raphael include Asher, Dean, Drake, Ethan and Ford. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.