Rafael
Last seen for girls in 2009 at #13,704 · #218 for boys in 2025, 1,639 births
Given to boys 99.4% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1985 · 1,250 births
- Debut · boys
- 7 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 89,379since 1880
Rafael over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Rafael has never cracked the top 100 here.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #218 | 1,639 | |
| 2024 | — | #222 | 1,621 | |
| 2023 | — | #231 | 1,517 | |
| 2022 | — | #232 | 1,517 | |
| 2021 | — | #237 | 1,490 | |
| 2020 | — | #246 | 1,424 | |
| 2019 | — | #261 | 1,392 | |
| 2018 | — | #258 | 1,405 | |
| 2017 | — | #283 | 1,282 | |
| 2016 | — | #291 | 1,238 | |
| 2015 | — | #293 | 1,226 | |
| 2014 | — | #293 | 1,205 | |
| 2013 | — | #287 | 1,208 | |
| 2012 | — | #286 | 1,231 | |
| 2011 | — | #274 | 1,274 | |
| 2010 | — | #257 | 1,333 | |
| 2009 | #13,704 | 7 | #257 | 1,345 |
| 2008 | #15,405 | 6 | #240 | 1,541 |
| 2007 | — | #228 | 1,622 | |
| 2006 | #12,420 | 8 | #217 | 1,702 |
| 2005 | #16,462 | 5 | #228 | 1,492 |
| 2004 | #12,761 | 7 | #224 | 1,544 |
| 2003 | #11,325 | 8 | #236 | 1,411 |
| 2002 | #10,246 | 9 | #231 | 1,453 |
| 2001 | #13,521 | 6 | #232 | 1,455 |
| 2000 | — | #230 | 1,472 | |
| 1999 | #11,385 | 7 | #229 | 1,438 |
| 1998 | #7,532 | 12 | #229 | 1,386 |
| 1997 | #8,334 | 10 | #227 | 1,360 |
| 1996 | #8,132 | 10 | #215 | 1,399 |
| 1995 | #8,079 | 10 | #205 | 1,459 |
| 1994 | #7,097 | 12 | #202 | 1,431 |
| 1993 | #4,671 | 21 | #211 | 1,427 |
| 1992 | #5,718 | 16 | #208 | 1,484 |
| 1991 | #6,588 | 13 | #210 | 1,483 |
| 1990 | #7,880 | 10 | #201 | 1,503 |
| 1989 | #4,358 | 21 | #213 | 1,322 |
| 1988 | #7,111 | 10 | #206 | 1,285 |
| 1987 | #4,660 | 17 | #207 | 1,217 |
| 1986 | #6,612 | 10 | #203 | 1,211 |
| 1985 | #4,635 | 16 | #195 | 1,250 |
| 1984 | #4,737 | 15 | #204 | 1,147 |
| 1983 | #4,286 | 17 | #201 | 1,186 |
| 1982 | #3,898 | 20 | #199 | 1,255 |
| 1981 | #5,571 | 12 | #204 | 1,213 |
| 1980 | #3,992 | 19 | #208 | 1,188 |
| 1979 | #5,751 | 11 | #222 | 1,025 |
| 1978 | #4,242 | 16 | #218 | 996 |
| 1977 | #3,366 | 22 | #215 | 1,033 |
| 1976 | #5,215 | 11 | #215 | 976 |
| 1975 | #5,984 | 9 | #215 | 986 |
| 1974 | #6,258 | 8 | #226 | 930 |
| 1973 | #4,871 | 11 | #232 | 906 |
| 1972 | #4,523 | 12 | #232 | 927 |
| 1971 | #3,373 | 19 | #257 | 866 |
| 1970 | #5,413 | 9 | #245 | 947 |
| 1969 | #6,617 | 6 | #255 | 818 |
| 1968 | — | #259 | 768 | |
| 1967 | — | #278 | 669 | |
| 1966 | #4,866 | 8 | #297 | 620 |
| 1965 | #4,494 | 9 | #304 | 615 |
| 1964 | — | #324 | 582 | |
| 1963 | #4,019 | 11 | #337 | 526 |
| 1962 | #5,860 | 6 | #332 | 565 |
| 1961 | #4,009 | 11 | #326 | 581 |
| 1960 | — | #334 | 541 | |
| 1959 | — | #345 | 509 | |
| 1958 | #6,103 | 5 | #342 | 503 |
| 1957 | #6,086 | 5 | #390 | 388 |
| 1956 | — | #349 | 448 | |
| 1955 | #5,828 | 5 | #353 | 417 |
| 1954 | #5,753 | 5 | #349 | 420 |
| 1953 | — | #384 | 329 | |
| 1952 | — | #355 | 366 | |
| 1951 | — | #411 | 275 | |
| 1950 | — | #389 | 299 | |
| 1949 | — | #422 | 260 | |
| 1948 | — | #415 | 265 | |
| 1947 | — | #436 | 239 | |
| 1946 | — | #452 | 196 | |
| 1945 | — | #453 | 172 | |
| 1944 | — | #458 | 176 | |
| 1943 | — | #533 | 140 | |
| 1942 | — | #503 | 148 | |
| 1941 | — | #546 | 119 | |
| 1940 | — | #541 | 118 | |
| 1939 | #4,250 | 5 | #544 | 111 |
| 1938 | — | #548 | 111 | |
| 1937 | — | #563 | 106 | |
| 1936 | #3,701 | 6 | #527 | 117 |
| 1935 | — | #517 | 124 | |
| 1934 | — | #501 | 132 | |
| 1933 | — | #491 | 130 | |
| 1932 | #3,568 | 7 | #434 | 167 |
| 1931 | — | #407 | 190 | |
| 1930 | — | #392 | 214 | |
| 1929 | #4,053 | 6 | #403 | 209 |
| 1928 | — | #410 | 215 | |
| 1927 | #4,805 | 5 | #428 | 201 |
| 1926 | — | #467 | 166 | |
| 1925 | — | #451 | 178 | |
| 1924 | — | #465 | 174 | |
| 1923 | #4,376 | 6 | #499 | 149 |
| 1922 | — | #510 | 146 | |
| 1921 | — | #528 | 139 | |
| 1920 | — | #549 | 124 | |
| 1919 | — | #576 | 108 | |
| 1918 | — | #706 | 80 | |
| 1917 | — | #694 | 76 | |
| 1916 | — | #695 | 73 | |
| 1915 | — | #725 | 67 | |
| 1914 | — | #673 | 57 | |
| 1913 | — | #615 | 51 | |
| 1912 | — | #649 | 42 | |
| 1911 | — | #605 | 25 | |
| 1910 | — | #524 | 29 | |
| 1909 | — | #574 | 21 | |
| 1908 | — | #541 | 22 | |
| 1907 | — | #591 | 18 | |
| 1906 | — | #489 | 21 | |
| 1905 | — | #574 | 17 | |
| 1904 | — | #452 | 22 | |
| 1903 | — | #619 | 13 | |
| 1902 | — | #744 | 10 | |
| 1901 | — | #487 | 16 | |
| 1900 | — | #743 | 12 | |
| 1899 | — | #661 | 10 | |
| 1898 | — | #804 | 8 | |
| 1897 | — | #615 | 12 | |
| 1896 | — | #900 | 7 | |
| 1895 | — | #640 | 11 | |
| 1894 | — | #787 | 8 | |
| 1893 | — | #907 | 6 | |
| 1892 | — | #861 | 7 | |
| 1891 | — | #841 | 6 | |
| 1890 | — | #667 | 9 | |
| 1889 | — | #722 | 8 | |
| 1888 | — | #704 | 9 | |
| 1887 | — | #679 | 8 | |
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | #836 | 6 | |
| 1884 | — | #971 | 5 | |
| 1883 | — | #720 | 7 | |
| 1882 | — | #837 | 6 | |
| 1881 | — | #595 | 9 | |
| 1880 | — | #745 | 7 | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Rafael was already there! It came in at #745, and was given to 7 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1886, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.
Where Rafael is popular in 2012
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- California#179 · 1 in 776
- Texas#185 · 1 in 834
- New York#187 · 1 in 966
- Arizona#202 · 1 in 771
- Florida#211 · 1 in 1,045
Best ever in a state: #25 in Arizona, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | #179 | 297 | 1 in 776 |
| Texas | #185 | 213 | 1 in 834 |
| New York | #187 | 108 | 1 in 966 |
| Arizona | #202 | 48 | 1 in 771 |
| Florida | #211 | 88 | 1 in 1,045 |
| Massachusetts | #213 | 28 | 1 in 1,059 |
| New Jersey | #217 | 37 | 1 in 1,121 |
| District of Columbia | #227 | 5 | 1 in 826 |
| Washington | #236 | 36 | 1 in 998 |
| Illinois | #245 | 55 | 1 in 1,209 |
| Nevada | #255 | 13 | 1 in 1,022 |
| Connecticut | #296 | 9 | 1 in 1,595 |
| Colorado | #298 | 21 | 1 in 1,293 |
| New Mexico | #305 | 7 | 1 in 1,385 |
| Oregon | #309 | 14 | 1 in 1,291 |
| North Carolina | #313 | 31 | 1 in 1,631 |
| Nebraska | #329 | 7 | 1 in 1,413 |
| South Carolina | #364 | 11 | 1 in 1,901 |
| Georgia | #370 | 27 | 1 in 2,000 |
| Maryland | #383 | 13 | 1 in 2,134 |
| Virginia | #395 | 18 | 1 in 2,323 |
| Utah | #402 | 11 | 1 in 1,969 |
| Iowa | #419 | 7 | 1 in 2,160 |
| Arkansas | #457 | 6 | 1 in 2,380 |
| Pennsylvania | #461 | 19 | 1 in 3,170 |
| Kansas | #490 | 6 | 1 in 2,682 |
| Oklahoma | #495 | 8 | 1 in 2,532 |
| Ohio | #505 | 17 | 1 in 3,515 |
| Michigan | #517 | 14 | 1 in 3,403 |
| Minnesota | #528 | 8 | 1 in 3,462 |
| Indiana | #649 | 8 | 1 in 4,459 |
| Alabama | #652 | 5 | 1 in 4,439 |
| Tennessee | #700 | 7 | 1 in 5,113 |
| Missouri | #789 | 5 | 1 in 6,351 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Rafael
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 4 spots since 2024 (#222 → #218)
- 28 spots since 2020 (#246 → #218)
- 75 spots since 2015 (#293 → #218)
- Biggest jump: 285 spots in 1897 (#900 → #615)
- Biggest drop: 260 spots in 1896 (#640 → #900)
Rise & fade · boys
105 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1985 at #195 (1,250 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 145 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 145 yrs · run 1887–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 1,042
- Highest: 1 in 1,042 boys born in 2025 were named Rafael (0.10%)
- Its best rank, #195 in 1985, was only 1 in 1,479 (0.07%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 2000s
- 16.8% of all boys named Rafael (15,037) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 65 | #595 (1881) | #757 |
| 1890s | 84 | #615 (1897) | #768 |
| 1900s | 172 | #452 (1904) | #581 |
| 1910s | 608 | #524 (1910) | #646 |
| 1920s | 1,701 | #403 (1929) | #471 |
| 1930s | 1,402 | #392 (1930) | #492 |
| 1940s | 1,833 | #415 (1948) | #476 |
| 1950s | 3,954 | #342 (1958) | #367 |
| 1960s | 6,285 | #255 (1969) | #305 |
| 1970s | 9,592 | #215 (1977) | #228 |
| 1980s | 12,274 | #195 (1985) | #204 |
| 1990s | 14,370 | #201 (1990) | #214 |
| 2000s | 15,037 | #217 (2006) | #232 |
| 2010s | 12,794 | #257 (2010) | #278 |
| 2020s | 9,208 | #218 (2025) | #231 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Rafael in 2012
boys
#286
1,231 births · 1 in 1,541 boys
Top boys' names in 2012
More about 2012
boys
1,896,946 boys got a published name in 2012; 1 in 1,541 of them was named Rafael, which outranked 98.0% of the 14,250 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).