NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Racheal

A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "ewe", or female lamb.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Racheal is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Racheal popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4709, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 21 births.

This profile covers 258 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 19% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 279 living people in the UK are called Racheal. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Racheal ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2006, when 21 girls were registered as Racheal.
  • Racheal ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #640 in 2002.
  • About 279 living people in the UK are estimated to have Racheal as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4709

2023

Births in 2023

4

Latest year

Peak year

2006

21 births

Estimated living

279

2026

Meaning

What does Racheal mean?

The name Racheal is a variant spelling of the Hebrew name Rachel, which means "ewe" or "female sheep" in Hebrew. The name has its origins in ancient Semitic languages and cultures of the Middle East, dating back several millennia.

The name Rachel appears in the Old Testament of the Bible as the wife of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. In the Book of Genesis, Rachel is described as being beautiful and the favored wife of Jacob, though she initially struggles with infertility before giving birth to Joseph.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Racheal can be found in ancient Hebrew inscriptions and texts from around the 6th century BC. The name was commonly used among Jewish communities in the ancient world and continued to be popular throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era.

Notable historical figures with the name Racheal or its variant spellings include Rachael Revah, a 16th century Portuguese-Jewish poet and scholar, and Rachel de Senepart, a 17th century French aristocrat and mistress of Louis XIV. In more recent times, famous individuals with this name include Rachel Carson (1907-1964), the American marine biologist and author of the influential book "Silent Spring," and Rachel Weisz (born 1970), the British actress known for her roles in films such as "The Constant Gardener" and "The Mummy" series.

Other notable individuals with the name Racheal or its variants include Rachael Ray (born 1968), the American celebrity chef and television personality, and Rachel Maddow (born 1973), the American political commentator and television host. Additionally, the name has been used by various fictional characters in literature and popular culture, such as Rachel Green from the sitcom "Friends" and Rachel Zane from the legal drama "Suits."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Racheal over time

The chart below shows babies named Racheal registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Racheal, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 21 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Racheal
05111621199620092023

Decades

Racheal by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Racheal was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #5320 10 3
2010s #3708 49 8
2000s #1747 130 10
1990s #1152 69 4

Geography

Where Racheal is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Racheal. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Racheal ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #640 in 2002.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Racheal in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#640 in 2002

7 years of NRS records, 23 total registered

Related

Names similar to Racheal

FAQ

Racheal: questions and answers

How popular is the name Racheal in the UK right now?

In 2023, Racheal was ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Racheal most popular?

The peak year on record was 2006, with 21 babies registered as Racheal in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Racheal?

A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "ewe", or female lamb.

How many people are called Racheal in the UK?

A total of 258 babies have been registered as Racheal across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 23 more in Scotland.

Where is Racheal most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Racheal ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #640 in 2002. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.