Total births
24,258
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.
- #420
- among boys today
- 24,258
- born since 1882
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Raphael currently ranks #420 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 #420 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.
- #420 among boys today
- 24,258 born since 1882
- 2010s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Raphael is currently the #420 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 24,258 born since 1882, peaking in the 2010s.
- #420
- among boys today
- 24,258
- born since 1882
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Raphael vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#420
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Raphael was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
807 babies were named Raphael in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Raphael compares
24,258 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Raphael's all-time total is 66x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Raphael | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 24,258 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 807 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#420
Active since
1882
Raphael popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 807
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Raphael popularity over time - girls
323 total births recorded since 1908 (Raphael as girls' name)
Raphael by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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
- 1880s 28
1880s
28 births
- 1890s 96
1890s
96 births
- 1900s 136
1900s
136 births
- 1910s 767
1910s
767 births
- 1920s 1,001
1920s
1,001 births
- 1930s 688
1930s
688 births
- 1940s 655
1940s
655 births
- 1950s 893
1950s
893 births
- 1960s 1,107
1960s
1,107 births
- 1970s 1,762
1970s
1,762 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,286 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,952 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,173 births
- 2010s
2010s
4,722 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,992 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 4,722 births (19% of all-time use).
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
Raphael by state
Where Raphael concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| 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. Among boys, it ranks #420 as of the latest data. 807 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
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
- 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 Raphael
Nearby Names Like Raphael
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Raphael
Rapheal Boy
#9067 1,542 births
Raphel Boy
168 births
Rapha Boy
#5641 68 births
Raphiel Boy
53 births
Compare Raphael side by side: Raphael vs Rapheal Raphael vs Raphel Raphael vs Rapha
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Raphael
Kayce #419
3,316 births · Peak 2025
Jake #421
129,322 births · Peak 2004
Chance #418
54,622 births · Peak 1996
Frederick #422
266,060 births · Peak 1951
Kian #417
13,457 births · Peak 2025
Reed #423
36,056 births · Peak 2014
Solomon #416
38,069 births · Peak 2016
Royal #424
20,072 births · Peak 2021
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Raphael: #420 Boys' Name - 24,258 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/raphael. 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 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 June 2026.