Rafaela is a distinctive choice, ranked #1819 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Rafaela in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#1819
About the Name Rafaela
Rafaela has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 132 places in five years. It was most popular in 2022 at #1282 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1998.
Rafaela is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Rafaela
Unlikely. With around 16 UK babies named Rafaela per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Rafaela in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Rafaela has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 132 places in the last five years. Its peak was #1282 in 2022. Choosing it now means she is likely to be among the last of her generation with this name.
Rafaela is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Rafaela include: Rafaela Gómez — Rafaela Gómez is an Ecuadorian tennis player.; Rafaela Zanella — Rafaela Köhler Zanella is a Brazilian model and beauty pageant titleholder of German and Italian descent who represented her country in the Miss Universe 2006...; Rafaela Dancygier — Rafaela M..
Rafaela does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Rafaelas in the wild.
16
UK babies named Rafaela (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 132 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Rafaela
Likely around 1 other Rafaela in the class
UK Popularity (1998–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Rafaela
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Rafaela Köhler Zanella is a Brazilian model and beauty pageant titleholder of German and Italian descent who represented her country in the Miss Universe 2006 pageant.
Rafaela Baroni Miliani, also known by the pseudonym aleafaR, was a Venezuelan sculptor, plastic artist, painter, poet, Actor and singer, self-taught whose work is oriented to her religious faith, and who, among others, received in 1989 the National Prize of Plastic Arts in the Popular Art category, and in 2005 the National Prize of Popular Culture, both awarded by the Venezuelan Ministry of Culture, as well as the Order of Andrés Bello in First Class in 2002. She is also recognized for her cultural contribution to the Trujillo state, due to the creation of the Museo del Espejo, the Ojos del Búho Cultural Center and the house museum El paraíso de Aleafar.
Rafaela de Herrera y Torreynosa was a criolla from what is now Colombia. She is considered a national heroine of Nicaragua, due to her actions in the defense of the Fortress of the Immaculate Conception during the Battle for the Río San Juan de Nicaragua in 1762 against the British forces.
Rafaela Guedes is a Brazilian submission grappler, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt athlete. An IBJJF World champion at brown belt, Guedes is a two-time World No-Gi, Pan American (Gi and No-GI) black belt champion.
Ceddanne Chipper Nicasio Marte Rafaela is a Curaçaoan professional baseball center fielder and shortstop for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.
Rafaela Andrade de Moraes, commonly known as Rafaela, is a Brazilian women's international footballer who plays as a midfielder. She is a member of the Brazil women's national football team.