UK girl's name
Rachelle
A feminine name of French origin meaning "a female lamb" or "little ewe".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Rachelle is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rachelle popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 26 births.
This profile covers 193 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 12% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 273 living people in the UK are called Rachelle. 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 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Rachelle ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 26 girls were registered as Rachelle.
- • Rachelle ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #348 in 2000.
- • About 273 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rachelle as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5581
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
1996
26 births
Estimated living
273
2026
Meaning
What does Rachelle mean?
Rachelle is a feminine given name derived from the Hebrew name Rachel, which means "ewe" or "female sheep" in Hebrew. The name Rachel has biblical origins, as it was the name of the favored wife of Jacob in the Book of Genesis. The variant spelling Rachelle emerged in France during the Middle Ages.
The name Rachelle gained popularity in France during the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly among the French aristocracy and nobility. It was a common name given to daughters of noble families during this period. One notable figure from this era was Rachelle de Vergy, a 13th-century French noblewoman renowned for her beauty and tragic love story.
In the 16th century, the name Rachelle spread to other parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain. During the Italian Renaissance, the name was associated with several prominent figures, such as the Italian poet and writer Rachelle Musso (1558-1628), who was renowned for her sonnets and lyrical works.
The name Rachelle also has a rich history in the realm of religion and spirituality. In the 17th century, Rachelle Ferrier (1620-1691) was a French mystic and writer who authored several books on spiritual themes and was known for her piety and religious devotion.
In the 18th century, Rachelle Lefevre (1723-1788) was a French playwright and author who wrote several successful plays and novels that were widely acclaimed during her time. Her works often explored themes of love, societal norms, and the role of women in French society.
Another notable figure bearing the name Rachelle was Rachelle Antoinette Mueller (1841-1921), a German-American educator and suffragist who played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and educational opportunities in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Throughout history, the name Rachelle has been associated with various fields, including literature, arts, religion, and social activism, reflecting its enduring popularity and cultural significance across different eras and regions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rachelle over time
The chart below shows babies named Rachelle registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Rachelle, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 26 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rachelle by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rachelle 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 | #5581 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4592 | 19 | 4 |
| 2000s | #2535 | 86 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1008 | 85 | 4 |
Geography
Where Rachelle is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rachelle. 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.
Rachelle ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #348 in 2000.
Across the UK
Rachelle in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#577 in 2005
17 years of NRS records, 76 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#348 in 2000
2 years of NISRA records, 6 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Rachelle
-
Rachelle Booth
taekwondo athlete
English taekwondo practitioner
1995-
-
Rachelle Beinart
actor; stunt performer
British actor
1984-
Related
Names similar to Rachelle
- Ruby 60,551
- Rebecca 45,764
- Rosie 35,558
- Rachel 19,034
- Rose 18,043
- Robyn 14,556
- Rosa 6,236
- Rhiannon 6,180
- Rachael 4,702
- Rebekah 4,395
- Rhianna 4,177
- Ruth 4,118
FAQ
Rachelle: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rachelle in the UK right now?
In 2021, Rachelle was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Rachelle most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 26 babies registered as Rachelle in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rachelle?
A feminine name of French origin meaning "a female lamb" or "little ewe".
How many people are called Rachelle in the UK?
A total of 193 babies have been registered as Rachelle across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 76 more in Scotland and 6 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Rachelle most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Rachelle ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #348 in 2000. 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.