Rachel
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Rachel
Rachel was derived from the Hebrew word rāchēl, meaning "ewe." In the Old Testament, Rachel was the favorite wife of Jacob, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. International variations include the Spanish Raquel and Israeli Rahel.
Delicacy, softness, and Old Testament importance made Rachel a top biblical choice from the seventies on. At a much earlier time Rachel was considered characteristically Jewish—it wasn't used as a Christian name until after the Reformation—but the fact that it has reached as high as the Top 10 in this country demonstrates that it has been fully embraced by parents of all backgrounds. While off its peak, Rachel is still one of the most popular girls' names starting with R as well as one of the most classic names for girls.
Rachel was a US First Lady name, via the wife of Andrew Jackson, and current prominent bearers include Rachels Weisz, Dratch, McAdams, Griffiths, Maddow, Roy, and Zoe. A major influence on the name was Jennifer Aniston's iconic character on Friends; other fictional Rachels were found in the Anne of Green Gables and Percy Jackson series, and on Glee.
Rachel is also given to boys.
Pronounced RAY-chul.
As of October 2026, Rachel ranked #250 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #9 in 1996, Nameberry popularity #306.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #155 | 2,090 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #167 | 1,938 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #171 | 1,883 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #191 | 1,622 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #198 | 1,558 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #191 | 1,547 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #226 | 1,305 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #239 | 1,271 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #241 | 1,261 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #254 | 1,223 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #247 | 1,285 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #250 | 1,225 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Rachel.
Rachel on lists
Famous Rachels
- RachelGirl
Biblical second wife of Jacob
- Rachel Donelson Robards JacksonGirl
wife of U.S. President Andrew Jackson
- Rachel Leah BloomGirl
American actress and comedienne
- Rachel Sarah BilsonGirl
American actress
- Rachel Hannah WeiszGirl
English actress
- Rachel Susan DratchGirl
American comedian and actress
- Rachel Held EvansGirl
American author, blogger, and columnist
- Rachel Louise CarsonGirl
American environmentalist and scientist
- Rachel Marie ParsonsGirl
American ice dancer
- Rachel Lauren StevensGirl
English pop singer of group S Club
- Rachel Kelly CrowGirl
American pop singer
- Rachel Anne McAdamsGirl
Canadian actress
- Rachel Anne GriffithsGirl
Australian actress
- Rachel Anne MaddowGirl
American TV journalist
- Rachel Emily NicholsGirl
American actress
- Rachel Michele NicholsGirl
American TV journalist
- (Rachel) Meghan MarkleGirl
Duchess of Sussex, former American actress
- Rachel TicotinGirl
American actress
- Rachel Anna KorineGirl
American actress
- Rachel KhooGirl
English celebrity chef
- Rachel McQuillanGirl
Australian tennis player
- Rachel VincentGirl
American novelist
- Rachel India TrueGirl
American actress
- Rachel YorkGirl
American actress and singer
- Rachel Amanda HarrisGirl
Australian Olympic swimmer
- Rachel KushnerGirl
American novelist
- Rachel HunterGirl
New Zealand model
- Rachel Clare HurdGirl
Wood, English actress
- Rachel Renee SmithGirl
Miss USA 2007
- Rachel WilliamsGirl
American model
- Rachel Claire WardGirl
English actress
- Rachel Lindsey PotterGirl
American actress/singer
- Rachel PlattenGirl
American singer,songwriter
- Rachel IsadoraGirl
American children's author
- Rachel Irene RoyGirl
American fashion designer
- Rachel UchitelGirl
mistress of golfer Tiger Woods
- Rachel Mary Berkeley PortmanGirl
English composer
- Rachel GibsonGirl
American novelist
- Rachel FeinsteinGirl
American actress/comedian
- Rachel ReynoldsGirl
American TV model
- Rachel HuntGirl
Australian author
- Rachel Elizabeth BostonGirl
American actress
- Rachel Zoe (Rosenzweig)Girl
American fashion stylist and designer
- Rachel AshwellGirl
English author
- Rachel SkarstenGirl
Canadian actress
- Rachel ShelleyGirl
English actress
- Rachel RileyGirl
English television presenter
- Rachel SutherlandGirl
sister of Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland
- Evan Rachel WoodGirl
American actress
- Rachel Louise CorsieGirl
Scottish football player
- Rachel Ann DalyGirl
English soccer player
- Rachel HouseGirl
New Zealand actress and acting coach
- Rachel "Bunny" MeyerGirl
American YouTuber of grav3yardgirl
- Rachel YoshizukiGirl
American YouTuber of "Rachel and Jun"
- Rachel Roberts (b. 1978) Canadian Model & ActressGirl
played the part of Simone in the 2002 film "Simone"
- Rachel Anne ZeglerGirl
American actress
- Rachel LundellGirl
Contestant on season 2 of Love Island USA
Rachel in pop culture
- Rachel BaileyGirl
a police officer and titular character in the British drama "Scott & Bailey", played by Suranne Jones
- Rachel Karen GreenGirl
character on TV's "Friends"
- Rachel MenkenGirl
character in "Mad Men" TV series
- Rachel WatsonGirl
main character in book/film "The Girl on the Train"
- Rachel ZaneGirl
character on TV's "Suits"
- Rachel BerryGirl
main character TV's "Glee"
- Rachel DawesGirl
character in the Batman series
- Rachel PhantomhiveGirl
character in anime/manga "Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler"
- Rachel KinskiGirl
character on Australian soap "Neighbours"
- Rachel Virginia GatinaGirl
character on TV's "One Tree Hill"
- Rachel LyndeGirl
character in the Anne of Green Gables series
- Rachel Elizabeth DareGirl
character in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series
- Rachel WitchburnGirl
character in "Sydney White"
- Rachel Anne Summers aka Marvel GirlGirl
Marvel Comics character
- RachelGirl
character in "Rainbow Magic" children's book series
- Rachel AdamsGirl
character in "Defiance", from C. J. Redwine
- Lady Rachel RougedragonGirl
"a meagre old Scotch lady" in Sir Walter Scott's 1824 novel "Redgauntlet"
- Rachel TiceGirl
character in the YouTube series "Most Popular Girls in School"
- Rachel PirzadGirl
character on TV's "Alphas"
- Rachel Sangalletti AshleyGirl
main character in "My Cousin Rachel" by Daphne du Maurier and 1952 movie
- Rachel NoyesGirl
main character "The Rachel Papers" by Martin Amis and 1989 movie
- Rachel CameronGirl
main character in 1968 movie "Rachel, Rachel"
- Rachel Joy CuddyGirl
a character on "House, M.D."
- Rachel RothGirl
alias to DC Comic superhero Raven from the "Teen Titans"
- Rachel KellerGirl
character from horror movie "The Ring"
- Rachel DuncanGirl
character on TV's "Orphan Black"
- Rachel DenmanGirl
character in the "St Clare" book series by Enid Blyton
- Rachel T. McKenzie aka Numbuh 362Girl
a character on animated series "Codename: Kids Next Door"
- Rachel DiazGirl
character on TV's "Stuck in the Middle"
- Rachel MurrayGirl
a character on MTV's "Scream"
- RachelGirl
a main character from the film "Imagine Me and You"
- Rachel PidgleyGirl
a character from webcomic "The Glass Scientists"
- Rachel DavisGirl
character on TV's "Famous in Love"
- Rachel AlviGirl
character in "Sims" series
- "Rachel Getting MarriedGirl
" 2008 movie
- Rachel GoldbergGirl
character on TV's UnREAL
- RachelGirl
a Reuben sandwich with turkey
- Rachel FerrierGirl
character in 2005 film "War of the Worlds"
- Rachel GarrettGirl
character in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" Rachel Garrett was the Captain of the Enterprise,C
- Rachel PriceGirl
titular character in novel "The Reappearance of Rachel Price"
- "The Reappearance of Rachel Price"Girl
novel by Holly Jackson
- Rachel AmberGirl
character in video game "Life is Strange"