Raphael

Did you know?

A few things about Raphael you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Raphael

Raphael Holzdeppe

German pole vaulter

Choose Raphael and your child shares a first name with Raphael Holzdeppe, a German pole vaulter. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Raphael, like who?” Raphael Holzdeppe's Wikipedia article is available in 28 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Raphael Holzdeppe on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 at (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,116 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Raphael, 807 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Raphael would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryRaphael first shows up in US birth records in 1882, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 143 years since.
• 🏆Best yearRaphael is at its all-time high right now: #394 in 2025.
• 📈Then vs nowRaphael is 3.1× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 6,460 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 2,116.
• 🚀TrendRaphael has climbed 118 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #394. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedRaphael is most popular in Washington, D.C., where it ranks #120, followed by Rhode Island (#200) and New York (#217). It's in the top 1,000 in 36 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Hebrew, Raphael means “God heals”.

About the name Raphael

Raphael is a boy name of French origin meaning “God heals”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with R and ending in “-ael”. US birth records list Raphael for boys from 1882 to 2025, in 139 of those 144 years. Its best year was 2025, when it ranked #394 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #394, with 807 babies.

Origin:French names