Raffaela
A girl's name of Italian origin with 756 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
a female given name from Italian, variant of Raphaela
Raffaela is a girl's baby name of Italian origin, the Italian feminine form of Raffaele (Raphael), from the Hebrew Rafa'el, meaning 'God heals' or 'healing power of God.' The archangel Raphael is the divine healer in Jewish and Christian tradition.
Raffaela carries the healing meaning of the archangel Raphael in a form that is unmistakably Italian — think of the Renaissance master Raphael, whose paintings embody divine beauty. The double-f spelling is the authentic Italian form, giving the name a classical Mediterranean elegance.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Raffaela'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. Raffaela follows that feminine pattern.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Raffaela's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Raffaela has 66+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1898.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | — |
| 2000s | 11 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 5 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 18 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 41 | ▲ |
| 1960s | 10 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 24 | ▼ |
| 1940s | 75 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 125 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 221 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 175 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 30 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 10 | — |
The Story of Raffaela
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1922, Raffaela is a name steeped in history. Girls named Raffaela are most likely born between 1912 and 1932.
How rare is Raffaela?
With 756 total births on record, Raffaela remains a rare and distinctive pick.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1898, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1920s with 221 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Raffaela by the numbers
- Would fill 16 school buses
- Meeting one Raffaela per day would take 2.1 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(66 years, 1898–2023)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5 | #17042 |
| 2020 | 6 | #14721 |
| 2009 | 5 | #19530 |
| 2006 | 6 | #16648 |
| 1993 | 5 | #15169 |
| 1989 | 5 | #13926 |
| 1988 | 7 | #10077 |
| 1983 | 6 | #9885 |
| 1976 | 8 | #7094 |
| 1974 | 5 | #9797 |
| 1973 | 7 | #7218 |
| 1972 | 6 | #7974 |
| 1971 | 9 | #5878 |
| 1970 | 6 | #7746 |
| 1965 | 5 | #7268 |
| 1961 | 5 | #7297 |
| 1956 | 8 | #4739 |
| 1954 | 5 | #6420 |
| 1953 | 6 | #5517 |
| 1951 | 5 | #6037 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Raffaela a boy's or girl's name?
When was Raffaela most popular?
How popular is the name Raffaela?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1898–2023