Rafael

Last seen for girls in 2009 at #13,704 · #218 for boys in 2025, 1,639 births
Given to boys 99.4% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1985 · 1,250 births
Debut · boys
7 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
89,379
since 1880

Rafael over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Rafael has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201988peak #195, 1985boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#2181,639
2024#2221,621
2023#2311,517
2022#2321,517
2021#2371,490
2020#2461,424
2019#2611,392
2018#2581,405
2017#2831,282
2016#2911,238
2015#2931,226
2014#2931,205
2013#2871,208
2012#2861,231
2011#2741,274
2010#2571,333
2009#13,7047#2571,345
2008#15,4056#2401,541
2007#2281,622
2006#12,4208#2171,702
2005#16,4625#2281,492
2004#12,7617#2241,544
2003#11,3258#2361,411
2002#10,2469#2311,453
2001#13,5216#2321,455
2000#2301,472
1999#11,3857#2291,438
1998#7,53212#2291,386
1997#8,33410#2271,360
1996#8,13210#2151,399
1995#8,07910#2051,459
1994#7,09712#2021,431
1993#4,67121#2111,427
1992#5,71816#2081,484
1991#6,58813#2101,483
1990#7,88010#2011,503
1989#4,35821#2131,322
1988#7,11110#2061,285
1987#4,66017#2071,217
1986#6,61210#2031,211
1985#4,63516#1951,250
1984#4,73715#2041,147
1983#4,28617#2011,186
1982#3,89820#1991,255
1981#5,57112#2041,213
1980#3,99219#2081,188
1979#5,75111#2221,025
1978#4,24216#218996
1977#3,36622#2151,033
1976#5,21511#215976
1975#5,9849#215986
1974#6,2588#226930
1973#4,87111#232906
1972#4,52312#232927
1971#3,37319#257866
1970#5,4139#245947
1969#6,6176#255818
1968#259768
1967#278669
1966#4,8668#297620
1965#4,4949#304615
1964#324582
1963#4,01911#337526
1962#5,8606#332565
1961#4,00911#326581
1960#334541
1959#345509
1958#6,1035#342503
1957#6,0865#390388
1956#349448
1955#5,8285#353417
1954#5,7535#349420
1953#384329
1952#355366
1951#411275
1950#389299
1949#422260
1948#415265
1947#436239
1946#452196
1945#453172
1944#458176
1943#533140
1942#503148
1941#546119
1940#541118
1939#4,2505#544111
1938#548111
1937#563106
1936#3,7016#527117
1935#517124
1934#501132
1933#491130
1932#3,5687#434167
1931#407190
1930#392214
1929#4,0536#403209
1928#410215
1927#4,8055#428201
1926#467166
1925#451178
1924#465174
1923#4,3766#499149
1922#510146
1921#528139
1920#549124
1919#576108
1918#70680
1917#69476
1916#69573
1915#72567
1914#67357
1913#61551
1912#64942
1911#60525
1910#52429
1909#57421
1908#54122
1907#59118
1906#48921
1905#57417
1904#45222
1903#61913
1902#74410
1901#48716
1900#74312
1899#66110
1898#8048
1897#61512
1896#9007
1895#64011
1894#7878
1893#9076
1892#8617
1891#8416
1890#6679
1889#7228
1888#7049
1887#6798
1886
1885#8366
1884#9715
1883#7207
1882#8376
1881#5959
1880#7457
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Rafael was already there! It came in at #745, and was given to 7 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1886, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.

Where Rafael is popular in 1988

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedNHWashington: #361 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,622 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedMNIllinois: #181 for boys · 77 births · 1 in 1,084 boysILWisconsin: #333 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 4,050 boysWIMichigan: #455 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 5,879 boysMINew York: #99 for boys · 204 births · 1 in 636 boysNYMassachusetts: #142 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 1,152 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: #392 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 5,275 boysPANew Jersey: #125 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 989 boysNJConnecticut: #183 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,550 boysCTCalifornia: #122 for boys · 445 births · 1 in 567 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedUTColorado: #263 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,195 boysCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedWVVirginia: #380 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 4,013 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedDEArizona: #182 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 982 boysAZNew Mexico: #235 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,270 boysNMKansas: #238 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,853 boysKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedARTennessee: #509 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 6,770 boysTNNorth Carolina: #528 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 6,216 boysNCSouth Carolina: #416 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 3,746 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedLAMississippi: #361 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,731 boysMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedALGeorgia: #288 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 2,224 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Rafael, so not publishedHITexas: #166 for boys · 174 births · 1 in 828 boysTXFlorida: #186 for boys · 74 births · 1 in 1,141 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. New York#99 · 1 in 636
  2. California#122 · 1 in 567
  3. New Jersey#125 · 1 in 989
  4. Massachusetts#142 · 1 in 1,152
  5. Texas#166 · 1 in 828

Best ever in a state: #25 in Arizona, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New York#992041 in 636
California#1224451 in 567
New Jersey#125521 in 989
Massachusetts#142361 in 1,152
Texas#1661741 in 828
Illinois#181771 in 1,084
Arizona#182301 in 982
Connecticut#183141 in 1,550
Florida#186741 in 1,141
New Mexico#23591 in 1,270
Kansas#23891 in 1,853
Colorado#263111 in 2,195
Georgia#288211 in 2,224
Wisconsin#33381 in 4,050
Mississippi#36161 in 2,731
Washington#36191 in 3,622
Virginia#380101 in 4,013
Pennsylvania#392151 in 5,275
South Carolina#41661 in 3,746
Michigan#455111 in 5,879
Tennessee#50951 in 6,770
North Carolina#52871 in 6,216
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Delaware
District of Columbia
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Rafael
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 4 spots since 2024 (#222#218)
  • 28 spots since 2020 (#246#218)
  • 75 spots since 2015 (#293#218)
  • Biggest jump: 285 spots in 1897 (#900#615)
  • Biggest drop: 260 spots in 1896 (#640#900)
Rise & fade · boys
105 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1985 at #195 (1,250 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 145 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 145 yrs · run 1887–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 1,042
  • Highest: 1 in 1,042 boys born in 2025 were named Rafael (0.10%)
  • Its best rank, #195 in 1985, was only 1 in 1,479 (0.07%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 2000s
  • 16.8% of all boys named Rafael (15,037) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s65#595 (1881)#757
1890s84#615 (1897)#768
1900s172#452 (1904)#581
1910s608#524 (1910)#646
1920s1,701#403 (1929)#471
1930s1,402#392 (1930)#492
1940s1,833#415 (1948)#476
1950s3,954#342 (1958)#367
1960s6,285#255 (1969)#305
1970s9,592#215 (1977)#228
1980s12,274#195 (1985)#204
1990s14,370#201 (1990)#214
2000s15,037#217 (2006)#232
2010s12,794#257 (2010)#278
2020s9,208#218 (2025)#231

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Rafael in 1988

girls
#7,111
10 births · 1 in 178,085 girls
boys
#206
1,285 births · 1 in 1,490 boys

Top girls' names in 1988

  1. #1Jessica51,556
  2. #2Ashley49,977
  3. #3Amanda39,459
  4. #4Sarah28,374
  5. #5Jennifer27,893
  6. #6Brittany26,816
  7. #7Stephanie22,843
  8. #8Samantha20,700
  9. #9Nicole20,315
  10. #10Elizabeth20,042
  11. #7,111Rafael10

Top boys' names in 1988

  1. #1Michael64,171
  2. #2Christopher53,014
  3. #3Matthew45,876
  4. #4Joshua42,653
  5. #5Andrew35,745
  6. #6David35,329
  7. #7Justin35,055
  8. #8Daniel34,718
  9. #9James32,523
  10. #10Robert30,319
  11. #206Rafael1,285
More about 1988

girls

1,780,854 girls got a published name in 1988; 1 in 178,085 of them was named Rafael, which outranked 48.8% of the 13,883 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Rafael
  1. #6,666Yarelis11
  2. #6,666Yitty11
  3. #6,666Zanna11
  4. #7,111Rafael10
  5. #7,111Aaisha10
  6. #7,111Abigal10
  7. #7,111Adah10
  8. #7,691Abeni9
  9. #7,691Abiola9
  10. #7,691Adonica9

Tied with 579 names at #7,111; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1987
Risers
  1. 2,890Jalissa#3,857#967
  2. 2,381Taja#3,101#720
  3. 1,710Whitley#2,156#446
  4. 1,225Jalisa#1,662#437
  5. 883Jaleesa#1,227#344
Fallers
  1. 620Channing#590#1,210
  2. 346Denisse#954#1,300
  3. 319Jeana#966#1,285
  4. 314Eliana#826#1,140
  5. 311Nakia#893#1,204

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,914,283 boys got a published name in 1988; 1 in 1,490 of them was named Rafael, which outranked 97.6% of the 8,495 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Rafael
  1. #203Ivan1,330
  2. #204Pedro1,307
  3. #205Bruce1,286
  4. #206Rafael1,285
  5. #207Emmanuel1,280
  6. #208Jaime1,256
  7. #209Wayne1,242
Biggest movers since 1987
Risers
  1. 3,252Nico#4,239#987
  2. 1,245Ridge#2,215#970
  3. 668Colten#1,484#816
  4. 600Brantley#1,587#987
  5. 518Long#1,337#819
Fallers
  1. 362Cordaro#908#1,270
  2. 246Ramsey#884#1,130
  3. 241Yaakov#974#1,215
  4. 233Adrain#990#1,223
  5. 230Kiel#846#1,076

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1988