Rachel is a distinctive choice, ranked #394 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Rachel in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#394
US Rank #250
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About the Name Rachel
Rachel is gradually declining in popularity, having dropped 25 places over five years. Its high point was #27 in 1996, and it now sits at #377. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has featured in the UK top 100 for 12 years, demonstrating solid mainstream recognition.
Rachel is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Rachel in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #247, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Rachel
Rachel Stuart — Rachel Stuart is a Jamaican-Canadian model, actress, tv host and beauty pageant titleholder.
Rachel Reeves — Rachel Jane Reeves is a British politician who has served as Chancellor of the Exchequer since 2024.
Rachel Shelley — Rachel Shelley is an English actress, audio producer and model.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Rachel
Unlikely. With around 106 UK babies named Rachel per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Rachel in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Rachel has been fairly steady, ranked #394 in 2025 against #352 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #27 in 1996.
Rachel is more popular in the US (#247) than in the UK (#377). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Rachel include: Rachel Stuart, Rachel Reeves and Rachel Shelley. Short summaries for each appear below.
Rachel appears in the US top 500 at #247 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
106
UK babies named Rachel (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 42 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Rachel
Almost certainly the only Rachel in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Rachel
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story