UK boy's name
Rafal
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has healed".
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.
Rafal is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Rafal popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4107, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 21 births.
This profile covers 166 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 2005 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 168 living people in the UK are called Rafal. 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
- • Rafal ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 21 boys were registered as Rafal.
- • Rafal ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2008.
- • About 168 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rafal as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4107
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2009
21 births
Estimated living
168
2026
Meaning
What does Rafal mean?
The name Rafal originates from the Hebrew language and is derived from the biblical name Raphael, which means "God has healed" or "God's healing." This name has its roots in ancient Semitic cultures and can be traced back to the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament.
Raphael is mentioned in the Book of Tobit, an apocryphal text from the 3rd or 2nd century BCE. In this book, Raphael is described as one of the seven archangels sent by God to guide and protect the characters. The association with healing and divine protection contributed to the popularity of this name among Jewish and Christian communities.
The name Rafal emerged as a shortened version of Raphael, particularly in Eastern European countries with significant Jewish populations, such as Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rafal can be found in the 15th century, when a Jewish scholar named Rafal ben Mordecai Shrift lived in Poland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rafal. One of the most prominent was Rafal Leszczyński (1650-1703), a Polish noble and politician who served as the Grand Crown Hetman of Poland. Another notable figure was Rafal Marcin Blüth (1891-1939), a Polish military officer and politician who played a role in the Polish-Soviet War.
In the field of literature, Rafal Gan-Ganowicz (1932-2012) was a Polish writer and poet known for his works exploring Jewish themes and the Holocaust. In the world of sports, Rafal Sonik (born 1969) is a former Polish professional footballer who played as a striker for several clubs in Poland and Germany.
Rafal Olbinski (born 1943) is a renowned Polish painter and graphic designer whose surrealistic works have been featured in various international exhibitions and publications. His unique style blends elements of pop art and traditional Polish folk art.
While the name Rafal has its origins in Hebrew and biblical texts, it has been adopted and embraced by various cultures over the centuries, particularly in Eastern Europe. The name's association with healing and divine protection has contributed to its enduring popularity.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rafal over time
The chart below shows babies named Rafal registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 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 Rafal, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 21 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rafal by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rafal 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 | #3672 | 19 | 4 |
| 2010s | #2346 | 88 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2004 | 59 | 5 |
Geography
Where Rafal is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rafal. 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.
Rafal ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2008.
Across the UK
Rafal in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#638 in 2008
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Rafal
-
Rafal Moore
actor
British actor
2009-
-
Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski
university teacher; physicist
British physicist and university teacher
1969-
Related
Names similar to Rafal
- Ryan 68,692
- Riley 37,992
- Robert 27,462
- Reuben 25,122
- Rhys 24,418
- Reece 24,329
- Rory 21,870
- Roman 16,609
- Ronnie 16,445
- Reggie 14,684
- Rowan 14,371
- Ralph 8,892
FAQ
Rafal: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rafal in the UK right now?
In 2023, Rafal was ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Rafal most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 21 babies registered as Rafal in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rafal?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has healed".
How many people are called Rafal in the UK?
A total of 166 babies have been registered as Rafal across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Rafal most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Rafal ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #638 in 2008. 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.