Abel vs Raphael
Abel and Raphaelcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Abel was ranked #110 and Raphael #415 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Abel was ranked #166 and Raphael #158 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Abel was ranked #158 and Raphael #326 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Abel was ranked #352 and Raphael #268 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Abel was ranked #432 and Raphael #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Abel and Raphael over time
Abel and Raphael appear together in 2 published lists, across 50 years of shared records. Raphael held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Abel in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Abel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Raphael in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Abel and Raphael changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #166 and #158.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Abel #153 in 2023, Raphael #156 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abel held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Raphael in 26.
Highest recorded here: Abel #153 in 2023, Raphael #156 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abel #166, Raphael #158.
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2025
Abel held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Raphael in 9.
Highest recorded here: Abel #329 in 2022, Raphael #268 in 2023.
The order changed in 2025: Abel moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #374 and #374; by 2025 that had become #432 and #468.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abel #432, Raphael #468.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Abel | Raphael |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #110 (2025) | Norway · Boys #415 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abel and Raphael both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Abel
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #581 among boys in Norway in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1977–2025
Highest recorded position: #82 among boys in Norway, in 2021 (recorded 1977–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #110 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Raphael
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #156 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys