UK boy's name
Raphael
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God heals".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Raphael is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Raphael popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #158, with 320 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 339 births.
This profile covers 5,409 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 94% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 5,484 living people in the UK are called Raphael. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Raphael ranked #158 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 320 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 339 boys were registered as Raphael.
- • Raphael ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #268 in 2024.
- • About 5,484 living people in the UK are estimated to have Raphael as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#158
2024
Births in 2024
320
Latest year
Peak year
2023
339 births
Estimated living
5,484
2026
Meaning
What does Raphael mean?
The name Raphael has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew words "Rapha" meaning "to heal" and "El" meaning "God". Thus, Raphael translates to "God has healed" or "God's healer".
Raphael is one of the seven archangels mentioned in the Catholic Bible, specifically in the Book of Tobit. In this book, Raphael is described as a healer and a guide to the protagonist Tobiah. He helps Tobiah on a journey and cures his father's blindness. This association with healing and guidance has contributed to the name's enduring popularity.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Raphael can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which date back to the 3rd century BC. The scrolls contain references to the archangel Raphael, indicating the name's usage during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Raphael. One of the most famous was the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520), renowned for his masterpieces such as "The School of Athens" and "The Sistine Madonna". His artistic genius and contributions to the High Renaissance period have made him an iconic figure.
Another prominent Raphael was the Spanish painter Raphael Urbino (1638-1703), known for his religious and mythological works. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums across Spain and Europe.
In the realm of literature, Raphael Holinshed (c. 1525-1580) was an English chronicler whose "Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland" served as a significant source for playwrights like William Shakespeare.
The name Raphael has also been associated with religious figures, such as Saint Raphael of Brooklyn (1860-1915), a Syrian-American Catholic bishop who played a crucial role in the establishment of the Byzantine Catholic Church in the United States.
Raphael Lemkin (1900-1959), a Polish lawyer and linguist, is remembered for coining the term "genocide" and his tireless efforts to establish it as an international crime, contributing significantly to the development of human rights laws.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Raphael, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human experience.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Raphael over time
The chart below shows babies named Raphael registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Raphael, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 320 births in 2024, compared with 339 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Raphael by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Raphael 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 | #168 | 1,559 | 5 |
| 2010s | #220 | 2,437 | 10 |
| 2000s | #296 | 1,196 | 10 |
| 1990s | #404 | 217 | 4 |
Geography
Where Raphael is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Raphael. 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.
Raphael ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #268 in 2024.
Across the UK
Raphael in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#268 in 2024
17 years of NRS records, 88 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#326 in 2021
6 years of NISRA records, 22 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Raphael
-
Raphael David Bogan
(born 1993)
1993-
-
Raphael Wong
politician; activist
Hong Kong activist
1988-
-
Raphael Gray
British computer criminal
1982-
-
Raphael Hostey
military personnel; activist
British military personnel and activist (1982-2016)
1982-2016
-
Raphael Rowe
television presenter; journalist
television broadcast journalist
1968-
-
Raphael Meade
association football player
British footballer (born 1962)
1962-
-
Raphael Ravenscroft
writer; composer; musician; saxophonist
British musician, composer and author (1954–2014)
1954-2014
-
Raphael Wallfisch
cellist; music educator
British cellist
1953-
Related
Names similar to Raphael
- 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
Raphael: questions and answers
How popular is the name Raphael in the UK right now?
In 2024, Raphael was ranked #158 for boys in England and Wales, with 320 births registered.
When was Raphael most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 339 babies registered as Raphael in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Raphael?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God heals".
How many people are called Raphael in the UK?
A total of 5,409 babies have been registered as Raphael across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 88 more in Scotland and 22 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Raphael most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Raphael ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #268 in 2024. 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.