Rafaela

A girl's name of Hebrew origin with 3,456 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's name#3102 in 2024Rising fast

Meaning & Origin

a female given name, variant of Raphaela

Rafaela is a girl's baby name of Hebrew origin, the Spanish feminine form of Rafael, meaning 'God has healed.' The archangel Raphael is the divine healer in Jewish and Christian tradition — a name that carries both celestial grace and healing power in its feminine form.

Popular across Latin America and Spain, Rafaela has a warm, melodious beauty that feels both spiritual and accessible.

EtymologyShow more

The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Rafaela's final sounds are open, warm — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Rafaela follows that feminine pattern.

Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Rafaela's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.

At a Glance

#3102

Current Rank

3,456

Total births

Since 1887

2011

Peak year

60 births

Compare Rafaela with another name

Popularity Over Time

Rafaela climbed 1689 spots in the last 20 years — from #4791 to #3102.

First appeared: 1887Peak: 2011 (60 births)Current: #3102

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Rafaela
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2020s	235	#3386	▼
2010s	416	#3834	▲
2000s	276	#4988	▲
1990s	221	#4875	—
1980s	234	#3868	▲
1970s	225	#3283	▲
1960s	201	#2917	▼
1950s	279	#2093	▲
1940s	256	#1833	▼
1930s	286	#1492	▼
1920s	437	#1180	▲
1910s	233	#1346	▲
1900s	107	#1443	▲
1890s	38	#1489	▲
1880s	12	#1190	—

The Story of Rafaela

A Gen Z name

Peaking in 2011, Rafaela is a name that defines a generation. Girls named Rafaela are most likely born between 2001 and 2021.

How rare is Rafaela?

Only about 1 in every 69,231 babies born in 2024 was named Rafaela — a truly uncommon choice.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1887, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1920s with 437 births that decade, and remains solidly popular today.

Rafaela by the numbers

Would fill 72 school buses
Meeting one Rafaela per day would take 9.5 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(133 years, 1887–2024)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Rafaela
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2024	52	#3102	+4 (8.3%)
2023	48	#3366	0
2022	48	#3356	+8 (20.0%)
2021	40	#3783	-7 (-14.9%)
2020	47	#3324	-8 (-14.5%)
2019	55	#2989	+10 (22.2%)
2018	45	#3478	+13 (40.6%)
2017	32	#4464	-13 (-28.9%)
2016	45	#3508	+7 (18.4%)
2015	38	#3969	-3 (-7.3%)
2014	41	#3765	+10 (32.3%)
2013	31	#4619	-4 (-11.4%)
2012	35	#4275	-25 (-41.7%)
2011	60	#2897	+26 (76.5%)
2010	34	#4378	-7 (-17.1%)
2009	41	#3851	+6 (17.1%)
2008	35	#4430	+8 (29.6%)
2007	27	#5352	+1 (3.8%)
2006	26	#5343	-6 (-18.8%)
2005	32	#4346	+4 (14.3%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rafaela a boy's or girl's name?

Rafaela is primarily a girl's name.

When was Rafaela most popular?

Rafaela reached its peak popularity in 2011 with 60 births that year. It is currently ranked #3102 in the U.S.

How popular is the name Rafaela?

Rafaela is currently ranked #3102 in the U.S. (2024). It has been given to 3,456 babies since 1887.

Explore More

By Length7-letter names By OriginHebrew names By EndingNames in -a TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1887–2024