Rafael is a distinctive choice, ranked #189 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Rafael in their class.
📊
UK Rank 2025
#189
US Rank #218
Ad
About the Name Rafael
Rafael is gradually declining in popularity, having dropped 28 places over five years. Its high point was #181 in 2022, and it now sits at #215. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Rafael is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Rafael in their class.
It ranks similarly in the US at #218, suggesting broad transatlantic appeal.
⭐ Famous People Named Rafael
Rafael Nadal — Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera, 1st Marquess of Llevant de Mallorca is a Spanish former professional tennis player.
Rafael Assis (footballer, born 1993) — Rafael Assis da Cruz Rodrigues, known as Rafael Assis, is a Brazilian football player who is currently a free agent.
Rafael Jódar — Rafael Jódar Camacho is a Spanish professional tennis player.
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 Rafael
Unlikely. With around 266 UK babies named Rafael per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Rafael in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Rafael has been fairly steady, ranked #189 in 2025 against #187 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #181 in 2022.
Rafael is more popular in the UK (#215) than in the US (#222). 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 Rafael include: Rafael Nadal, Rafael Assis (footballer, born 1993) and Rafael Jódar. Short summaries for each appear below.
Rafael appears in the US top 500 at #222 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
266
UK babies named Rafael (2025)
~0.0
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
→ Stable
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Rafael
Almost certainly the only Rafael in the class
Ad
UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Rafael
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, nicknamed "El Jefe" (Spanish: [el ˈxefe]; lit. 'The Boss'), was a Dominican military officer and dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from August 1930 until his assassination in May 1961.
Rafael Reyes, also credited as Leafar Seyer, is a Mexican American author, artist and musician credited with creating the cholo goth genre of music, which lyrically explores the realities of gang and street life.
Rafael Arutyunyan (Armenian: Ռաֆայել Հարությունյան, Harutyunyan; Russian: Рафаэль Владимирович Арутюнян; born July 5, 1957) is an Armenian-American figure skating coach.