Boys' name · since 1922

Rafel

Since 1922, U.S. Social Security records show 125 babies named Rafel, peaking in 1970. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#15,976 of 45,481
all-time among boys
125
born since 1922
1980s
peak decade

Rafel is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 125 have been recorded since 1922.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rafel has been recorded 125 times among boys since 1922, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1922 to 2013.

  • #15,976 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 125 born since 1922
  • 1980s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rafel ranks #15,976 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 125 born since 1922, peaking in the 1980s.

#15,976 of 45,481
all-time among boys
125
born since 1922
1980s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Rafel's 125 recorded births place it above 64.84% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Rafel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Rafel splits its recorded history at 1981: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1922 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1970 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Rafel popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1922–2013

Last recorded 2013
Peak year (1970)
10
Annual births at peak, across 92 years of records
4681012 19221969197219801984199020012013 5

Rafel by decade

1980s is the heaviest window (40 births, 32% of the file).

1980s was Rafel's strongest decade.

40 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.

Rafel births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1980s at 40 births (32% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Rafel? ▼
Rafel has been given to 125 babies in the U.S. since 1922, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #15,976 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 2013. 10 babies were born in 1970, its single highest year.
Where does Rafel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rafel ranks #15,976 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Rafel most popular? ▼
Rafel was most popular in the 1980s decade with 40 total births. The single peak year was 1970.
How long has the name Rafel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Rafel since 1922 -- 92 years through the most recent 2013 data.
What names are similar to Rafel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rafael, Rafe, Raffaele, Rafeal, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Rafel's data

  • Rafel's decade-level peak was the 1980s (40 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Rafel

Nearby Names Like Rafel

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rafel

Rafael Boy
#218 89,379 births
Rafe Boy
#1165 2,935 births
Raffaele Boy
#4872 1,079 births
Rafeal Boy
925 births
Raffi Boy
#5663 839 births

Compare Rafel side by side: Rafel vs Rafael Rafel vs Rafe Rafel vs Raffaele

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Graves #12043
125 births · Peak 2024
Ercell
125 births · Peak 1934
Loomis
125 births · Peak 1914
Normal
125 births · Peak 1918
Manus
125 births · Peak 1929
Allin
125 births · Peak 1982
Que #10801
125 births · Peak 2022
Selso
125 births · Peak 1992

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Rafel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1922–2013 (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 Rafel 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.