Rafael is a familiar boys' name that peaked in 2006 and remains in steady use.
Rafael is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #218 for boy births in the United States (and #420 across all names), given to 1,639 babies — 1,647 including U.S. territories. Rafael first appears in 1880 and peaked in 2006 (1,702 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,639 | 1,647 | — | #218 |
| 2024 | 1,621 | 1,639 | — | #222 |
| 2023 | 1,517 | 1,534 | — | #231 |
| 2022 | 1,517 | 1,535 | — | #232 |
| 2021 | 1,490 | 1,509 | — | #237 |
| 2020 | 1,424 | 1,439 | — | #247 |
| 2019 | 1,392 | 1,411 | — | #261 |
| 2018 | 1,405 | 1,421 | — | #258 |
| 2017 | 1,282 | 1,297 | — | #283 |
| 2016 | 1,238 | 1,265 | — | #291 |
| 2015 | 1,226 | 1,253 | — | #294 |
| 2014 | 1,205 | 1,236 | — | #293 |
| 2013 | 1,208 | 1,257 | — | #288 |
| 2012 | 1,231 | 1,278 | — | #287 |
| 2011 | 1,274 | 1,326 | — | #274 |
| 2010 | 1,333 | 1,400 | — | #258 |
| 2009 | 1,352 | 1,418 | #14,865 | #257 |
| 2008 | 1,547 | 1,615 | #17,003 | #240 |
| 2007 | 1,622 | 1,709 | — | #228 |
| 2006 | 1,710 | 1,804 | #13,326 | #217 |
| 2005 | 1,497 | 1,604 | #18,517 | #228 |
| 2004 | 1,551 | 1,664 | #13,852 | #224 |
| 2003 | 1,419 | 1,539 | #12,130 | #236 |
| 2002 | 1,462 | 1,603 | #10,882 | #231 |
| 2001 | 1,461 | 1,619 | #14,892 | #233 |
| 2000 | 1,472 | 1,638 | — | #230 |
| 1999 | 1,445 | 1,653 | #12,343 | #229 |
| 1998 | 1,398 | 1,596 | #7,909 | #229 |
| 1997 | 1,370 | — | #8,859 | #227 |
| 1996 | 1,409 | — | #8,669 | #215 |
| 1995 | 1,469 | — | #8,575 | #205 |
| 1994 | 1,443 | — | #7,478 | #202 |
| 1993 | 1,448 | — | #4,764 | #212 |
| 1992 | 1,500 | — | #5,932 | #209 |
| 1991 | 1,496 | — | #6,883 | #210 |
| 1990 | 1,513 | — | #8,346 | #202 |
| 1989 | 1,343 | — | #4,472 | #213 |
| 1988 | 1,295 | — | #7,531 | #206 |
| 1987 | 1,234 | — | #4,818 | #207 |
| 1986 | 1,221 | — | #6,984 | #203 |
| 1985 | 1,266 | — | #4,802 | #195 |
| 1984 | 1,162 | — | #4,906 | #204 |
| 1983 | 1,203 | — | #4,419 | #201 |
| 1982 | 1,275 | — | #3,990 | #199 |
| 1981 | 1,225 | — | #5,809 | #204 |
| 1980 | 1,207 | — | #4,104 | #208 |
| 1979 | 1,036 | — | #6,053 | #222 |
| 1978 | 1,012 | — | #4,402 | #218 |
| 1977 | 1,055 | — | #3,455 | #215 |
| 1976 | 987 | — | #5,487 | #215 |
| 1975 | 995 | — | #6,314 | #215 |
| 1974 | 938 | — | #6,695 | #226 |
| 1973 | 917 | — | #5,113 | #232 |
| 1972 | 939 | — | #4,722 | #232 |
| 1971 | 885 | — | #3,467 | #257 |
| 1970 | 956 | — | #5,705 | #245 |
| 1969 | 824 | — | #7,235 | #255 |
| 1968 | 768 | — | — | #259 |
| 1967 | 669 | — | — | #278 |
| 1966 | 628 | — | #5,161 | #298 |
| 1965 | 624 | — | #4,746 | #304 |
| 1964 | 582 | — | — | #324 |
| 1963 | 537 | — | #4,201 | #337 |
| 1962 | 571 | — | #6,392 | #332 |
| 1961 | 592 | — | #4,177 | #326 |
| 1960 | 541 | — | — | #334 |
| 1959 | 509 | — | — | #345 |
| 1958 | 508 | — | #6,790 | #342 |
| 1957 | 393 | — | #6,809 | #391 |
| 1956 | 448 | — | — | #349 |
| 1955 | 422 | — | #6,501 | #353 |
| 1954 | 425 | — | #6,420 | #349 |
| 1953 | 329 | — | — | #384 |
| 1952 | 366 | — | — | #355 |
| 1951 | 275 | — | — | #411 |
| 1950 | 299 | — | — | #389 |
| 1949 | 260 | — | — | #422 |
| 1948 | 265 | — | — | #415 |
| 1947 | 239 | — | — | #436 |
| 1946 | 196 | — | — | #454 |
| 1945 | 172 | — | — | #453 |
| 1944 | 176 | — | — | #458 |
| 1943 | 140 | — | — | #533 |
| 1942 | 148 | — | — | #503 |
| 1941 | 119 | — | — | #548 |
| 1940 | 118 | — | — | #542 |
| 1939 | 116 | — | #4,799 | #545 |
| 1938 | 111 | — | — | #549 |
| 1937 | 106 | — | — | #565 |
| 1936 | 123 | — | #4,065 | #527 |
| 1935 | 124 | — | — | #519 |
| 1934 | 132 | — | — | #505 |
| 1933 | 130 | — | — | #491 |
| 1932 | 174 | — | #3,842 | #435 |
| 1931 | 190 | — | — | #407 |
| 1930 | 214 | — | — | #394 |
| 1929 | 215 | — | #4,476 | #403 |
| 1928 | 215 | — | — | #412 |
| 1927 | 206 | — | #5,458 | #429 |
| 1926 | 166 | — | — | #467 |
| 1925 | 178 | — | — | #451 |
| 1924 | 174 | — | — | #469 |
| 1923 | 155 | — | #4,860 | #501 |
| 1922 | 146 | — | — | #510 |
| 1921 | 139 | — | — | #529 |
| 1920 | 124 | — | — | #550 |
| 1919 | 108 | — | — | #578 |
| 1918 | 80 | — | — | #708 |
| 1917 | 76 | — | — | #698 |
| 1916 | 73 | — | — | #697 |
| 1915 | 67 | — | — | #730 |
| 1914 | 57 | — | — | #677 |
| 1913 | 51 | — | — | #626 |
| 1912 | 42 | — | — | #657 |
| 1911 | 25 | — | — | #622 |
| 1910 | 29 | — | — | #532 |
| 1909 | 21 | — | — | #586 |
| 1908 | 22 | — | — | #549 |
| 1907 | 18 | — | — | #611 |
| 1906 | 21 | — | — | #500 |
| 1905 | 17 | — | — | #586 |
| 1904 | 22 | — | — | #464 |
| 1903 | 13 | — | — | #649 |
| 1902 | 10 | — | — | #782 |
| 1901 | 16 | — | — | #503 |
| 1900 | 12 | — | — | #774 |
| 1899 | 10 | — | — | #701 |
| 1898 | 8 | — | — | #871 |
| 1897 | 12 | — | — | #638 |
| 1896 | 7 | — | — | #962 |
| 1895 | 11 | — | — | #668 |
| 1894 | 8 | — | — | #845 |
| 1893 | 6 | — | — | #1,004 |
| 1892 | 7 | — | — | #934 |
| 1891 | 6 | — | — | #937 |
| 1890 | 9 | — | — | #724 |
| 1889 | 8 | — | — | #775 |
| 1888 | 9 | — | — | #744 |
| 1887 | 8 | — | — | #733 |
| 1885 | 6 | — | — | #917 |
| 1884 | 5 | — | — | #1,090 |
| 1883 | 7 | — | — | #786 |
| 1882 | 6 | — | — | #922 |
| 1881 | 9 | — | — | #643 |
| 1880 | 7 | — | — | #793 |