Boy · Name family
Rafael
471,737births recorded
18Countries
4Variants
2012Peak · Québec
#4France 2025
Rafael is a boy name family recorded 471,737 times in 18 countries since 1880. It ranks highest today in France (#4 in 2025). Its all-time peak was in Québec in 2012, at 970.6 births per 100,000. Elsewhere it is mostly given as Raphaël (France, Québec, England & Wales), Raffaele (Italy).
Popularity by country
Births per 100,000 newborns, all forms of the name combined.
Which form wins where
Births per 100,000 newborns for each form, in the selected country.
Rank in countries that publish top lists only
All forms of Rafael
| Variants | Language | Total births | Country | Latest rank | Peak year | 10-year trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raphaël | French | 170,560 | 🇫🇷 France | #4 | 2016 | ▼ 17 % |
| Raphaël | French | 24,581 | 🇺🇸 United States | #394 | 2025 | ▲ 69 % |
| Raphaël | French | 16,641 | 🇨🇦 Québec | #16 | 2012 | ▼ 16 % |
| Raphaël | French | 5,777 | 🏴 England & Wales | #142 | 2025 | ▲ 84 % |
| Raphaël | French | 4,259 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | #115 | 2000 | ▼ 46 % |
| Raphaël | French | 1,385 | 🇨🇦 Ontario | #207 | 2023 | ▲ 52 % |
| Rafael | Spanish | 89,947 | 🇺🇸 United States | #218 | 2025 | ▲ 49 % |
| Rafael | Spanish | 64,517 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | #272 | 1969 | ▲ 24 % |
| Rafael | Spanish | 26,515 | 🇫🇷 France | #110 | 2016 | ▼ 21 % |
| Rafael | Spanish | 20,428 | 🇪🇸 Spain | #61 | 2003 | – |
| Rafael | Spanish | 4,544 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | #20 | 2017 | – |
| Rafael | Spanish | 4,495 | 🏴 England & Wales | #189 | 2022 | ▲ 66 % |
| Raffaele | Italian | 22,318 | 🇮🇹 Italy | #44 | 2023 | – |
| Raffaele | Italian | 1,079 | 🇺🇸 United States | #4857 | 1908 | ▲ 58 % |
| Raffaele | Italian | 522 | 🇨🇦 Ontario | – | 1968 | – |
| Raffaele | Italian | 495 | 🇫🇷 France | #2243 | 2020 | ▲ 26 % |
| Raffaele | Italian | 358 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | #514 | 2007 | ▼ 9 % |
| Raffaele | Italian | 242 | 🏴 England & Wales | #1359 | 2025 | ▲ 64 % |
| Raffael | French | 490 | 🇫🇷 France | #2763 | 2020 | ▼ 6 % |
| Raffael | French | 407 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | #799 | 2000 | ▼ 56 % |
| Raffael | French | 120 | 🇺🇸 United States | #8243 | 2024 | new |
| Raffael | French | 98 | 🏴 England & Wales | #3240 | 2020 | ▲ 48 % |
| Raffael | French | 11 | 🇨🇦 Québec | – | 2010 | – |
How we grouped these names
- Raphaël ↔ Rafael — checked by hand
- Raphaël ↔ Raffaele — checked by hand
- Raphaël ↔ Raffael — spelling variant
Questions about Rafael
How popular is the name Rafael?
In 2025 it ranked #4 in France. Official registers record 471,737 births across 18 countries.
What is Rafael in other languages?
Raphaël (French); Raffaele (Italian); Raffael (French).
When was Rafael most popular?
It peaked in Québec in 2012, at 970.6 births per 100,000.
Is Rafael a boy or a girl name?
In official birth registers, Rafael is a boy name.