Boy name
Rafael
Rafael holds the #218 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular boy names in the U.S. That amounts to 1,639 newborn boys in a single year. Here's the interesting part: Rafael peaked in 1985, faded, and is now climbing again — a classic comeback pattern. Its strongest year on record was 1985 (#195 nationally, 1,250 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1880. The name's biggest fan base is in District of Columbia (#55 there in 2025).
Rankings
2025 rank
#218
among boy names
Trend
Comeback
last 5 years
All-time peak
#195
in 1985 (1980s)
Babies in 2025
1,639
boys named Rafael
Rafael popularity, 1880–2025
Where Rafael is most popular
Share of boys born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: District of Columbia (#55), Rhode Island (#177), California (#127)
Uniqueness score
29/ 100Very common
everywhereone of a kind
A familiar pick that most people will recognize instantly. Based on how many babies per birth were named Rafael in the most recent year of SSA data.