Boys' name · since 1882

Raphael

Raphael has 24,258 recorded births since 1882 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#753 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#395 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
24,258
born since 1882
2010s
peak decade

Raphael currently ranks #395 among boys' names in America, with 24,258 babies recorded since 1882.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Raphael has been recorded 24,258 times among boys since 1882, currently ranked #395 nationally and more common than 97% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.

  • #753 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • #395 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
  • 24,258 born since 1882
  • 2010s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Raphael ranks #753 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #395 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 24,258 born since 1882, peaking in the 2010s.

#753 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#395 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
24,258
born since 1882
2010s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%97.1%
Raphael vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Raphael's 24,258 recorded births place it above 98.34% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

44 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

44 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.

How Raphael compares

24,258 Top 6% higher than 94% 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

Raphael's all-time total is 66x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Raphael Median boys name (Takari) #1 boys name (Liam)
All-time total births 24,258 369 358,536
Peak-year births 807 34 22,252

Raphael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Raphael splits its recorded history at 1956: 84% of all births land in the more recent half, 16% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1882 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 807 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Raphael popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025

Top 1,000 boys' name
Peak year (2025)
807
Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
02004006008001,000 188219051923194119591977199520132025 807

Raphael popularity over time - girls

323 total births recorded since 1908 (Raphael as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 323 births
468101214 190819181924193319621972198319892024 5

Raphael by decade

2010s is the heaviest window (4,722 births, 19% of the file).

2010s was Raphael's strongest decade.

4,722 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.

Raphael births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 2010s at 4,722 births (19% of all-time use).

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

How Raphael 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 Raphael's total volume

Raphael vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8%10%12% 406080100120140160 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -127, 10.3%-141, 3.4%-111, 2.7%-145, 7.9%-110, 1.9%-146, 1.8%-89, 4.4%-138, 4.3%-146, 3.2%-71, 6.9%-146, 2%-109, 6.1%-146, 3.3%-146, 4.2%-58, 6.2%Raphael-144, 3.3%Raphael
Raphael vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Raphael by state

Where Raphael concentrates geographically, total births since 1882

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Raphael
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 New York
3,669 15.1%
#2 California
2,674 11.0%
#3 Texas
1,721 7.1%
#4 Florida
1,291 5.3%
#5 Illinois
1,043 4.3%
#6 New Jersey
1,021 4.2%
#7 Pennsylvania
794 3.3%
#8 Michigan
716 3.0%
New York share of Raphael's total US births 15.1%
Even split

3,669 of 24,258 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.

Raphael appears in 44 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Raphael?
Raphael has been given to 24,258 babies in the U.S. since 1882, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #753 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Among boys in 2025, it is #395 of 13,930. 807 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
Where does Raphael sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Raphael ranks #753 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #395 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Raphael most popular?
Raphael was most popular in the 2010s decade with 4,722 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Raphael most popular?
The top states for the name Raphael are New York (3,669 births), California (2,674 births), Texas (1,721 births).
How long has the name Raphael been used?
Records for Raphael go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Raphael?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rapheal, Raphel, Rapha, Raphiel. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Raphael's data

  • Raphael's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (4,722 total births) through the 2020s (3,992) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
  • New York records the most Raphaels (3,669 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names

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

Keep exploring Raphael

Nearby Names Like Raphael

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

Names with a similar popularity rank to Raphael

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Raphael: 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, 1882–2025 (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 Raphael 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.