Rafael

maleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Rafael: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning, origin or pronunciation yet — what that means.

Rafael: Recorded since 1963, it reached #181 in 2022, and it stood at #189 in 2025.

5registrars recorded it
106times a registrar ranked it
63years from first to last
#181highest recorded position
13groupings it qualifies for

Region

Rising

among boys in England and Wales · 1996–2025

View as table

England and Wales · Boys rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#1235
1997	#809
1998	#887
1999	#869
2000	#794
2001	#728
2002	#586
2003	#577
2004	#532
2005	#412
2006	#383
2007	#304
2008	#285
2009	#244
2010	#260
2011	#277
2012	#259
2013	#257
2014	#275
2015	#260
2016	#240
2017	#239
2018	#203
2019	#203
2020	#187
2021	#188
2022	#181
2023	#194
2024	#215
2025	#189

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

RisingEngland and Wales · Boys

Recorded in official data among boys in Norway in 49 of the 63 years from 1963 to 2025.

In 2025: #189 among boys in England and Wales, #328 among boys in Norway, #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Official data from 5 national registrars across 5 regions, 1963–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1963
First recorded at #445 among boys in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #181 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #189 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys

Rafael appears in 4 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Norway · Boys, which has ranked it in 49 years beginning in 1963, and has registered 454 births with the name.

Rafael across 4 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Rafael's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Norway · Boys	#445 (1963)	#222 (2020)	#328 (2025)	49 of 63	454 (1963–2025)	18 (2019)
England and Wales · Boys	#1235 (1996)	#181 (2022)	#189 (2025)	30 of 30	4,495 (1996–2025)	289 (2021)
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#518 (2005)	#306 (2022)	#329 (2025)	21 of 21	204 (2005–2025)	14 (2012)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#398 (2013)	#234 (2022)	#234 (2022)	5 of 10	27 (2013–2022)	8 (2022)

Rafael by decade in Norway · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Rafael in Norway · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	15	3 of 10	5
1970s	50	8 of 10	6
1980s	61	8 of 10	8
1990s	44	6 of 10	7
2000s	71	8 of 10	9
2010sbusiest	137	10 of 10	14
2020s	76	6 of 10	13

Across Norway · Boys, the 2010s were its busiest decade, averaging 14 births a year.

See the names Norwayhas recorded the most births with →

Rafael appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1963 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #181 in England and Wales in 2022.

Rafael's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2025	England and Wales	male	#189	266	High	Verified
2024	England and Wales	male	#215	231	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	male	#194	257	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	male	#181	279	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	male	#188	289	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	male	#187	276	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	male	#203	251	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	male	#203	265	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	male	#239	225	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	male	#240	229	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	male	#260	197	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	male	#275	175	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	male	#257	189	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	male	#259	183	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	male	#277	160	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	male	#260	180	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	male	#244	180	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	male	#285	147	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	male	#304	124	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	male	#383	90	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	male	#412	71	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	male	#532	49	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	male	#577	39	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	male	#586	34	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	male	#728	24	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	male	#794	21	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	male	#869	18	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	male	#887	17	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	male	#809	19	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	male	#1235	10	High	Verified
2022	Northern Ireland	male	#234	8	High	Verified
2019	Northern Ireland	male	#312	5	High	Verified
2017	Northern Ireland	male	#318	5	High	Verified
2015	Northern Ireland	male	#288	6	High	Verified
2013	Northern Ireland	male	#398	3	High	Verified
2025	Norway	male	#328	11	High	Verified
2024	Norway	male	#277	15	High	Verified
2023	Norway	male	#256	17	High	Verified
2022	Norway	male	#451	5	High	Verified
2021	Norway	male	#328	10	High	Verified
2020	Norway	male	#222	18	High	Verified
2019	Norway	male	#253	18	High	Verified
2018	Norway	male	#318	12	High	Verified
2017	Norway	male	#307	14	High	Verified
2016	Norway	male	#328	13	High	Verified
2015	Norway	male	#277	17	High	Verified
2014	Norway	male	#315	14	High	Verified
2013	Norway	male	#362	11	High	Verified
2012	Norway	male	#335	12	High	Verified
2011	Norway	male	#369	10	High	Verified
2010	Norway	male	#291	16	High	Verified
2009	Norway	male	#351	12	High	Verified
2008	Norway	male	#372	11	High	Verified
2007	Norway	male	#460	7	High	Verified
2006	Norway	male	#521	5	High	Verified
2005	Norway	male	#376	9	High	Verified
2004	Norway	male	#340	10	High	Verified
2003	Norway	male	#413	8	High	Verified
2002	Norway	male	#355	9	High	Verified
1999	Norway	male	#418	8	High	Verified
1998	Norway	male	#438	7	High	Verified
1995	Norway	male	#466	7	High	Verified
1994	Norway	male	#458	7	High	Verified
1991	Norway	male	#462	8	High	Verified
1990	Norway	male	#502	7	High	Verified
1989	Norway	male	#640	4	High	Verified
1988	Norway	male	#605	5	High	Verified
1986	Norway	male	#423	10	High	Verified
1984	Norway	male	#512	7	High	Verified
1983	Norway	male	#392	11	High	Verified
1982	Norway	male	#423	10	High	Verified
1981	Norway	male	#475	8	High	Verified
1980	Norway	male	#547	6	High	Verified
1979	Norway	male	#542	6	High	Verified
1978	Norway	male	#427	9	High	Verified
1976	Norway	male	#618	4	High	Verified
1975	Norway	male	#503	7	High	Verified
1974	Norway	male	#508	7	High	Verified
1973	Norway	male	#560	5	High	Verified
1972	Norway	male	#563	5	High	Verified
1971	Norway	male	#481	7	High	Verified
1965	Norway	male	#496	5	High	Verified
1964	Norway	male	#519	4	High	Verified
1963	Norway	male	#445	6	High	Verified
2025	Republic of Ireland	male	#329	12	High	Verified
2024	Republic of Ireland	male	#327	12	High	Verified
2023	Republic of Ireland	male	#330	12	High	Verified
2022	Republic of Ireland	male	#306	14	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	male	#326	13	High	Verified
2020	Republic of Ireland	male	#342	12	High	Verified
2019	Republic of Ireland	male	#352	11	High	Verified
2018	Republic of Ireland	male	#471	7	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	male	#495	6	High	Verified
2016	Republic of Ireland	male	#389	9	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	male	#308	14	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	male	#382	10	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	male	#383	10	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	male	#310	14	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	male	#342	12	High	Verified
2010	Republic of Ireland	male	#422	8	High	Verified
2009	Republic of Ireland	male	#337	11	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	male	#529	5	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	male	#527	4	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	male	#423	5	High	Verified
2005	Republic of Ireland	male	#518	3	High	Verified
2024	Scotland	male	#619	4	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Norway hub — collected by Statistics Norway (SSB)
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland
Scotland hub — collected by National Records of Scotland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

Where Rafael is officially recorded

5 official registrars have recorded Rafael, between 1963 and 2025, in 53 of those 63 years. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
Norway	1963–2025	49	#222 in 2020
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#181 in 2022
Republic of Ireland	2005–2025	21	#306 in 2022
Northern Ireland	2013–2022	5	#234 in 2022
Scotland	2024	1	#619 in 2024

No registrar recorded it for 5 years after 1965; it appears again in 1971.

What the record shows

Recorded by 5 registrars between 1963 and 2025, ranked in 53 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #181, first reached in 2022.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 289 births, registered in England and Wales in 2021.

Its record falls into 6 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 5 years.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 61 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Raeya · #667, 20y
Rafa · #755, 19y
Rafaela · #871, 26y
Rafaella · #1774, 25y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 5 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Darius · #182, 58y
Antonia · #189, 58y
Ayan · #193, 48y
Elisa · #167, 58y

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1960 and 1969.

Cecil · #181, 39y
Conrad · #181, 45y
Gerrard · #181, 38y
Mortimer · #181, 26y

Rafael was ranked #181 in England and Wales · Boys in 2022. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Abdullah#178
Rafferty#179
Anthony#180
Jordan#181
Maximilian#183
Cole#184
Mateo#184
Xander#184

Rafael and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Rafael without appearing here.

Rafael moved ahead of

Shannon
In 1996 they stood at #1235 and #1168 in England and Wales · Boys; by 1997 that had become #809 and #1761.
Johannes
In 1996 they stood at #1235 and #1168 in England and Wales · Boys; by 1997 that had become #809 and #1345.
Emil
In 2001 they stood at #728 and #686 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2002 that had become #586 and #993.
Fionn
In 1997 they stood at #809 and #600 in England and Wales · Boys; by 1998 that had become #887 and #1263.

Moved ahead of Rafael

Ulrik
In 1987 they stood at #423 and #486 in Norway · Boys; by 1988 that had become #605 and #245.
Philip
In 1978 they stood at #427 and #459 in Norway · Boys; by 1979 that had become #542 and #297.
Sander
In 1987 they stood at #423 and #633 in Norway · Boys; by 1988 that had become #605 and #386.
Jonathan
In 1978 they stood at #427 and #524 in Norway · Boys; by 1979 that had become #542 and #326.

Moved the opposite way to Rafael

Svein
Between 1963 and 2023 in Norway · Boys, Rafael went from #445 to #256 while Svein went from #6 to #267.
Trond
Between 1963 and 2023 in Norway · Boys, Rafael went from #445 to #256 while Trond went from #9 to #446.
Harry
Between 1963 and 2019 in Norway · Boys, Rafael went from #445 to #253 while Harry went from #139 to #431.
Aaron
Between 1996 and 2025 in England and Wales · Boys, Rafael went from #1235 to #189 while Aaron went from #33 to #180.

Moved the same way as Rafael

Aaron
Between 1972 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Rafael went from #563 to #328 and Aaron from #571 to #334.
Phillip
Between 1972 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Rafael went from #563 to #328 and Phillip from #611 to #268.
Albie
Between 1996 and 2025 in England and Wales · Boys, Rafael went from #1235 to #189 and Albie from #853 to #21.
Alfie
Between 1996 and 2025 in England and Wales · Boys, Rafael went from #1235 to #189 and Alfie from #119 to #16.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Pronunciation
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 5 regions, from 1963 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #181 in England and Wales in 2022. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Rafael

Rafael at a glance

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Rafael across 4 official records

Rafael by decade in Norway · Boys

Rafael appears in

Popularity data

Where Rafael is officially recorded

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Names published alongside Rafael

Rafael and the names beside it

Rafael moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Rafael

Moved the opposite way to Rafael

Moved the same way as Rafael

Rafael at a glance

Rafael across 4 official records

Rafael by decade in Norway · Boys

Rafael appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Names published alongside Rafael

Rafael and the names beside it

Rafael moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Rafael

Moved the opposite way to Rafael

Moved the same way as Rafael