Total births
3,516
Girls' name · since 1887
Rafaela
3,516 babies named Rafaela in U.S. Social Security records since 1887, with the highest year being 2011. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3050
- among girls today
- 3,516
- born since 1887
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
3,516 babies have been named Rafaela since 1887, making it today's #3050 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rafaela has been recorded 3,516 times among girls since 1887, currently ranked #3050 nationally and more common than 83% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1887 to 2025.
- #3050 among girls today
- 3,516 born since 1887
- 1920s peak decade
- 83% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rafaela is currently the #3050 girls' name in America, more common than 83% of girls - 3,516 born since 1887, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3050
- among girls today
- 3,516
- born since 1887
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other girls
Rafaela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3050
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 83% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
12% of everyone ever named Rafaela was born in this single decade.
2011
Single peak year
60 babies were named Rafaela in 2011 - its busiest year on record.
How Rafaela compares
3,516 Top 16% higher than 84% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Rafaela's all-time total is 9x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rafaela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,516 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 60 | 48 | 19,840 |
Rafaela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rafaela's SSA record in two at 1959 and the more recent half accounts for 54% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 46%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1892, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2011 peak of 60, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rafaela at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2011
Current rank
#3,050
Active since
1887
Rafaela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1887–2025
- Peak year (2011)
- 60
- Annual births at peak, across 139 years of records
Rafaela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Rafaela's strongest decade.
437 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 12% of all-time use.
Rafaela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 12
1880s
12 births
- 1890s 38
1890s
38 births
- 1900s 107
1900s
107 births
- 1910s
1910s
233 births
- 1920s
1920s
437 births
- 1930s
1930s
286 births
- 1940s
1940s
256 births
- 1950s
1950s
279 births
- 1960s
1960s
201 births
- 1970s
1970s
225 births
- 1980s
1980s
234 births
- 1990s
1990s
222 births
- 2000s
2000s
276 births
- 2010s
2010s
416 births
- 2020s
2020s
294 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 437 births (12% of all-time use).
How Rafaela compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Rafaela's total volume
Rafaela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Rafaela by state
Where Rafaela concentrates geographically, total births since 1887
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,038 | 29.5% |
| #2 | California | | 553 | 15.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 179 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Florida | | 101 | 2.9% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 34 | 1.0% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 20 | 0.6% |
| #7 | New Mexico | | 13 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 7 | 0.2% |
Texas share of Rafaela's total US births 29.5%
Even split
1,038 of 3,516 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rafaela? ▼
Since 1887, Social Security records show 3,516 babies named Rafaela. Today it holds rank #3050 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2011, with 60 births.
When was Rafaela most popular? ▼
Rafaela was most popular in the 1920s decade with 437 total births. The single peak year was 2011.
Where is Rafaela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rafaela are Texas (1,038 births), California (553 births), New York (179 births).
How long has the name Rafaela been used? ▼
Records for Rafaela go back to 1887, giving 139 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Rafaela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rafaella, Raffaela, Rafael, Raffaella, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Rafaela's data
- Rafaela's usage has stayed within range of its 1920s decade-level peak (437 total births) through the 2020s (294) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Rafaelas (1,038 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Rafaela
Nearby Names Like Rafaela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rafaela
Rafaella Girl
#4001 789 births
Raffaela Girl
756 births
Rafael Girl
568 births
Raffaella Girl
#5985 483 births
Rafeef Girl
#8830 140 births
Compare Rafaela side by side: Rafaela vs Rafaella Rafaela vs Raffaela Rafaela vs Rafael
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rafaela
Beth #3049
159,430 births · Peak 1961
Joann #3051
156,892 births · Peak 1942
Laurie #3048
166,488 births · Peak 1962
Adria #3052
6,506 births · Peak 1979
Mallie #3047
3,462 births · Peak 2022
Truly #3053
1,092 births · Peak 2025
Aayat #3046
517 births · Peak 2022
Carley #3054
16,918 births · Peak 1998
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, 1887–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rafaela: #3050 Girls' Name - 3,516 Births, Peak 2011." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rafaela. 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 Rafaela 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.