UK girl's name
Rochel
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "ewe" or "gentle lamb".
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.
Rochel is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Rochel popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 11 births.
This profile covers 172 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 45% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 171 living people in the UK are called Rochel. 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
- • Rochel ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 11 girls were registered as Rochel.
- • About 171 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rochel as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4192
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2011
11 births
Estimated living
171
2026
Meaning
What does Rochel mean?
The name Rochel is a variant spelling of the Hebrew name Rachel. It originated in the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East, with its roots traced back to the Biblical Hebrew name רָחֵל (Rāchēl). The name likely stems from the Hebrew word רָחָה (rāchāh), meaning "ewe" or "female sheep." Alternatively, some scholars suggest it may derive from the Hebrew verb רָחַח (rāchāch), meaning "to journey" or "to wander."
The name Rochel first appears in the Book of Genesis, where Rachel is described as the beloved wife of the patriarch Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel's story is significant in the Hebrew Bible, and she is revered as one of the four Matriarchs of the Jewish faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rochel can be found in the Babylonian Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism compiled between the 3rd and 5th centuries CE. The Talmud mentions several notable figures with the name, including Rabbi Rochel, a sage from the 3rd century CE.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the name Rochel or its variations. One of the earliest was Rochel Imeinu (c. 1600 BCE), the Biblical Matriarch mentioned above. Another prominent figure was Rochel Whiteread (1963-1993), a British artist best known for her sculpture "House," for which she won the prestigious Turner Prize in 1993.
In the realm of literature, Rochel Leah Goldstein (1901-1997) was a Yiddish writer and poet who made significant contributions to the Yiddish literary canon. Rochel Sobolev (1923-2013) was a Soviet-born Israeli writer and activist who fought for women's rights and the preservation of Yiddish culture.
In the field of science, Rochel Rosenzweig (1918-2020) was an American physicist and chemist who made significant contributions to the understanding of radiation biology and the effects of radiation on living organisms.
While these are just a few examples, the name Rochel has been borne by countless individuals throughout history, each leaving their unique mark on the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rochel over time
The chart below shows babies named Rochel 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 Rochel, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rochel by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rochel 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 | #3412 | 27 | 4 |
| 2010s | #4226 | 50 | 9 |
| 2000s | #2809 | 66 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2113 | 29 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Rochel
- 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
Rochel: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rochel in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rochel was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Rochel most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 11 babies registered as Rochel in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rochel?
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "ewe" or "gentle lamb".
How many people are called Rochel in the UK?
A total of 172 babies have been registered as Rochel across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.