Unisex name · since 1979
Rael
Rael has 458 recorded births since 1979 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2024 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8,318 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,530 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 458
- born since 1979
- 2020s
- peak decade
Yes -- Rael is the #2530 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 458 recorded since 1979.
Rael has 458 recorded births among boys since 1979, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2530 as of the latest data, more common than 82% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2025.
- #8,318 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,530 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 458 born since 1979
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rael ranks #8,318 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,530 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 458 born since 1979, peaking in the 2020s.
- #8,318 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,530 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 458
- born since 1979
- 2020s
- peak decade
Rael's 458 recorded births place it above 81.71% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
7 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Rael compares
458 Top 46% higher than 54% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Rael's all-time total is 24% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rael | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 458 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 61 | 34 | 22,252 |
Rael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rael's SSA record in two at 2010 and the more recent half accounts for 75% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 25%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1991, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2024 peak of 61, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rael popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 61
- Annual births at peak, across 47 years of records
Rael popularity over time - girls
202 total births recorded since 1971 (Rael as girls' name)
Rael by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (230 births, 50% of the file).
2020s was Rael's strongest decade.
230 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Rael births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 8
1970s
8 births
- 1980s 13
1980s
13 births
- 1990s 23
1990s
23 births
- 2000s 70
2000s
70 births
- 2010s
2010s
114 births
- 2020s
2020s
230 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 230 births (50% of all-time use).
Rael by state
Where Rael concentrates geographically, total births since 1979
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 40 | 8.7% |
| #2 | California | | 19 | 4.1% |
| #3 | Florida | | 15 | 3.3% |
| #4 | New York | | 14 | 3.1% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 6 | 1.3% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 5 | 1.1% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 5 | 1.1% |
40 of 458 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Rael's data
- Texas records the most Raels (40 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rael
Nearby Names Like Rael
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rael
Compare Rael side by side: Rael vs Raekwon Rael vs Rae Rael vs Raeford
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rael
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rael: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~46 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1979–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Rael draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.