Total births
89,379
Boys' name · since 1880
Rafael
89,379 babies named Rafael in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2006. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #222
- among boys today
- 89,379
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Rafael currently ranks #222 among boys' names in America, with 89,379 babies recorded since 1880.
Rafael has 89,379 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #222 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #222 among boys today
- 89,379 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rafael is currently the #222 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 89,379 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #222
- among boys today
- 89,379
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Rafael vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#222
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Rafael was born in this single decade.
2006
Single peak year
1,702 babies were named Rafael in 2006 - its busiest year on record.
How Rafael compares
89,379 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 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
Rafael's all-time total is 244x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rafael | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 89,379 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,702 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rafael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rafael's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 92% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 8%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1884, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2006 peak of 1,702, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rafael at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2006
Current rank
#222
Active since
1880
Rafael popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2006)
- 1,702
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Rafael popularity over time - girls
568 total births recorded since 1923 (Rafael as girls' name)
Rafael by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Rafael's strongest decade.
15,037 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Rafael births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 65
1880s
65 births
- 1890s 84
1890s
84 births
- 1900s 172
1900s
172 births
- 1910s 608
1910s
608 births
- 1920s 1,701
1920s
1,701 births
- 1930s 1,402
1930s
1,402 births
- 1940s 1,833
1940s
1,833 births
- 1950s 3,954
1950s
3,954 births
- 1960s
1960s
6,285 births
- 1970s
1970s
9,592 births
- 1980s
1980s
12,274 births
- 1990s
1990s
14,370 births
- 2000s
2000s
15,037 births
- 2010s
2010s
12,794 births
- 2020s
2020s
9,208 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 15,037 births (17% of all-time use).
How Rafael compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Rafael's total volume
Rafael vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rafael by state
Where Rafael concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 24,026 | 26.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 16,623 | 18.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 12,425 | 13.9% |
| #4 | Florida | | 4,790 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 4,458 | 5.0% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 2,946 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Arizona | | 2,782 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 1,578 | 1.8% |
California share of Rafael's total US births 26.9%
Even split
24,026 of 89,379 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Rafael appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rafael? ▼
89,379 babies have been named Rafael since 1880. It currently ranks #222 among boys. The peak year was 2006 with 1,702 births.
When was Rafael most popular? ▼
Rafael was most popular in the 2000s decade with 15,037 total births. The single peak year was 2006.
Where is Rafael most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rafael are California (24,026 births), Texas (16,623 births), New York (12,425 births).
How long has the name Rafael been used? ▼
Rafael has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Rafael? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rafe, Raffaele, Rafeal, Raffi, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rafael's data
- Rafael's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (15,037 total births) through the 2020s (9,208) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Rafaels (24,026 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rafael
Nearby Names Like Rafael
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rafael
Rafe Boy
#1310 2,935 births
Raffaele Boy
#5259 1,079 births
Rafeal Boy
925 births
Raffi Boy
#6547 839 births
Rafi Boy
#3185 734 births
Compare Rafael side by side: Rafael vs Rafe Rafael vs Raffaele Rafael vs Rafeal
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rafael
Patrick #221
686,590 births · Peak 1964
Griffin #223
51,051 births · Peak 2023
Abel #220
66,037 births · Peak 2015
Brody #224
81,678 births · Peak 2008
Joel #219
279,655 births · Peak 1985
Jaziel #225
9,262 births · Peak 2025
Colter #218
10,705 births · Peak 2025
Eithan #226
8,754 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rafael: #222 Boys' Name - 89,379 Births, Peak 2006." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rafael. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Rafael 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 June 2026.