Rafaela
About Rafaela
This euphonious and lovely name is an internationally appealing choice, that, like Gabriela and Isabela before it, is beginning to be drawn into the American mainstream. Also spelled Raffaella (Italian), Raffaela (German), or Raphaela (Hebrew), it was given to around 50 girls in the US in 2023.
Girls star Jemima Kirke named her daughter Rafaella Isreal--and her son Memphis.
Pronounced ra-fah-EL-a.
As of October 2026, Rafaela ranked #2922 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #807 in 1903.
Editor: Sophie Kihm
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #3,765 | 41 | 23 |
| 2015 | #3,969 | 38 | 21.3 |
| 2016 | #3,508 | 45 | 25.4 |
| 2017 | #4,464 | 32 | 18.5 |
| 2018 | #3,478 | 45 | 26.5 |
| 2019 | #2,989 | 55 | 32.8 |
| 2020 | #3,324 | 47 | 29.1 |
| 2021 | #3,783 | 40 | 24.4 |
| 2022 | #3,356 | 48 | 29.3 |
| 2023 | #3,366 | 48 | 29.9 |
| 2024 | #3,102 | 52 | 32.1 |
| 2025 | #2,922 | 58 | 36.1 |
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Rafaela.
- Hadassah
- Odilia
- Imelda
- Fabienne
- Winnaretta
- Rafaella
- Anoushka
- Morgane
- Saffie
- Constantina
- Eléonore
- Ludovica
- Beatriz
- Rivka
- Viveca
- Lovisa
- Lucida
- Delphia
- Victoire
- Elisheva
Rafaela on lists
Famous Rafaelas
- Rafaela Franić
Croatian model (Hrvatski Top Model Cycle 2)
- Rafaela de Herrera (y Torreynosa)
national heroine of Nicaragua
- Rafaela Ottiano
Italian,American actress
- Rafaela de Miranda Travalão
Brazilian footballer
- Rafaela Ybarra de Vilallonga
beatified Spanish founder of a religious order
- Saint Rafaela Porras Ayllón
Spanish professed religious
- Rafaela Silva
Brazilian judoka
Rafaela in pop culture
- Rafaela de la Vega Martinez
main character in Mexican telenovela "Rafaela"
- Rafaela
character in manga Claymore by Norihiro Yagi