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Rachel Name Origin: Hebrew
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Pronunciation: ray-chul, ray-chel
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Rachel Name Meaning
Rachel is often associated with beauty, grace, and gentleness. The name is often associated with the Biblical Rachel, who was said to be beautiful and gentle, as well as a loving mother.
Origins of the Name Rachel
The name Rachel is of Hebrew origin and it means “ewe” or “female sheep” in Hebrew. It is derived from the Hebrew word “רָחֵל” (rachel) which means “ewe” or “female sheep.”
History of the Name Rachel
The first recorded use of the name Rachel can be traced back to the Bible, where it is the name of one of the wives of Jacob, a son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. According to the Bible, Jacob worked seven years to win the hand of Rachel, who he deeply loved. Rachel also appears in the Bible as the mother of Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob.
Popularity of the Name Rachel
Rachel has been a popular name for baby girls for centuries. It was a popular name in the United States in the 19th century and has remained popular to this day. In the 1990s, the name Rachel was among the top 10 most popular names for baby girls in the United States. As of 2021, the name Rachel is not in the top 100 most popular names for baby girls in the United States.
In literature, Rachel is a popular name for fictional characters, such as Rachel in “Friends” an American television sitcom, Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston. Also, in the popular book and movie series “The Hunger Games,” the protagonist’s best friend is named Rachel.
Final Thoughts on the Name Rachel
In conclusion, the name Rachel has a rich history, a beautiful meaning, and continues to be a popular choice for baby girls. Whether you’re a fan of the Biblical Rachel, a fan of Friends, or just love the sound of the name, there’s no denying that Rachel is a classic and timeless choice for a baby girl’s name.
Infographic of Rachel name meaning, which is Rachel is a Hebrew name meaning ewe, a term for a female sheep.
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Rachel Name Popularity
How popular is the name Rachel? Here’s everything we know.
| Year |
Rank |
# Births |
% Births |
| 1910 |
153 |
488 |
0.1386% |
| 1911 |
147 |
506 |
0.1359% |
| 1912 |
153 |
672 |
0.1333% |
| 1913 |
144 |
802 |
0.1415% |
| 1914 |
148 |
959 |
0.1376% |
| 1915 |
156 |
1,192 |
0.1312% |
| 1916 |
152 |
1,317 |
0.1363% |
| 1917 |
155 |
1,324 |
0.1323% |
| 1918 |
147 |
1,527 |
0.1423% |
| 1919 |
148 |
1,481 |
0.1414% |
| 1920 |
155 |
1,475 |
0.1327% |
| 1921 |
152 |
1,576 |
0.1376% |
| 1922 |
153 |
1,534 |
0.1377% |
| 1923 |
159 |
1,465 |
0.1308% |
| 1924 |
157 |
1,592 |
0.1371% |
| 1925 |
165 |
1,427 |
0.1263% |
| 1926 |
163 |
1,367 |
0.1243% |
| 1927 |
169 |
1,272 |
0.1149% |
| 1928 |
177 |
1,152 |
0.1077% |
| 1929 |
168 |
1,191 |
0.115% |
| 1930 |
164 |
1,231 |
0.1178% |
| 1931 |
161 |
1,149 |
0.1164% |
| 1932 |
155 |
1,228 |
0.1243% |
| 1933 |
161 |
1,125 |
0.1208% |
| 1934 |
163 |
1,155 |
0.1195% |
| 1935 |
165 |
1,174 |
0.1208% |
| 1936 |
163 |
1,187 |
0.1232% |
| 1937 |
163 |
1,205 |
0.1223% |
| 1938 |
165 |
1,253 |
0.1224% |
| 1939 |
159 |
1,321 |
0.1299% |
| 1940 |
165 |
1,246 |
0.1172% |
| 1941 |
160 |
1,355 |
0.1204% |
| 1942 |
163 |
1,405 |
0.1113% |
| 1943 |
170 |
1,352 |
0.1036% |
| 1944 |
169 |
1,236 |
0.0997% |
| 1945 |
174 |
1,194 |
0.0979% |
| 1946 |
194 |
1,216 |
0.0824% |
| 1947 |
190 |
1,426 |
0.0854% |
| 1948 |
195 |
1,372 |
0.0859% |
| 1949 |
190 |
1,427 |
0.0887% |
| 1950 |
187 |
1,441 |
0.0895% |
| 1951 |
202 |
1,417 |
0.0836% |
| 1952 |
186 |
1,582 |
0.0906% |
| 1953 |
174 |
1,768 |
0.0999% |
| 1954 |
182 |
1,790 |
0.0979% |
| 1955 |
187 |
1,789 |
0.0973% |
| 1956 |
197 |
1,653 |
0.0875% |
| 1957 |
193 |
1,815 |
0.0943% |
| 1958 |
201 |
1,636 |
0.0866% |
| 1959 |
201 |
1,739 |
0.0915% |
| 1960 |
198 |
1,773 |
0.0936% |
| 1961 |
185 |
2,043 |
0.1082% |
| 1962 |
193 |
1,927 |
0.105% |
| 1963 |
179 |
2,171 |
0.1209% |
| 1964 |
173 |
2,254 |
0.1281% |
| 1965 |
174 |
1,996 |
0.1221% |
| 1966 |
154 |
2,268 |
0.1453% |
| 1967 |
105 |
3,307 |
0.2179% |
| 1968 |
92 |
3,713 |
0.2473% |
| 1969 |
69 |
5,238 |
0.34% |
| 1970 |
58 |
6,028 |
0.3788% |
| 1971 |
54 |
6,122 |
0.4074% |
| 1972 |
40 |
6,415 |
0.471% |
| 1973 |
42 |
6,106 |
0.471% |
| 1974 |
36 |
7,397 |
0.5691% |
| 1975 |
26 |
8,225 |
0.6401% |
| 1976 |
23 |
8,456 |
0.6561% |
| 1977 |
26 |
8,976 |
0.6659% |
| 1978 |
25 |
9,805 |
0.7293% |
| 1979 |
27 |
10,235 |
0.7259% |
| 1980 |
23 |
11,622 |
0.7949% |
| 1981 |
22 |
12,586 |
0.8562% |
| 1982 |
21 |
13,869 |
0.9281% |
| 1983 |
20 |
14,592 |
0.9888% |
| 1984 |
15 |
15,837 |
1.0646% |
| 1985 |
13 |
16,358 |
1.0777% |
| 1986 |
15 |
15,452 |
1.0237% |
| 1987 |
17 |
15,643 |
1.0251% |
| 1988 |
19 |
15,344 |
0.9846% |
| 1989 |
18 |
15,356 |
0.9516% |
| 1990 |
16 |
15,705 |
0.9475% |
| 1991 |
14 |
16,343 |
1.0027% |
| 1992 |
16 |
15,837 |
0.9922% |
| 1993 |
14 |
15,971 |
1.0244% |
| 1994 |
13 |
15,486 |
1.0091% |
| 1995 |
12 |
16,044 |
1.0645% |
| 1996 |
9 |
16,115 |
1.0763% |
| 1997 |
13 |
13,787 |
0.9322% |
| 1998 |
15 |
12,201 |
0.8152% |
| 1999 |
19 |
11,624 |
0.7762% |
| 2000 |
21 |
10,673 |
0.6987% |
| 2001 |
24 |
9,537 |
0.633% |
| 2002 |
24 |
8,923 |
0.5954% |
| 2003 |
28 |
7,981 |
0.5246% |
| 2004 |
34 |
6,914 |
0.4536% |
| 2005 |
38 |
6,213 |
0.4064% |
| 2006 |
48 |
5,527 |
0.353% |
| 2007 |
59 |
4,825 |
0.3058% |
| 2008 |
74 |
4,074 |
0.2636% |
| 2009 |
89 |
3,582 |
0.2397% |
| 2010 |
100 |
3,009 |
0.2088% |
| 2011 |
115 |
2,652 |
0.1861% |
| 2012 |
132 |
2,400 |
0.1684% |
| 2013 |
137 |
2,304 |
0.1618% |
| 2014 |
153 |
2,065 |
0.1417% |
| 2015 |
164 |
1,914 |
0.1315% |
| 2016 |
170 |
1,839 |
0.1275% |
| 2017 |
191 |
1,565 |
0.1121% |
| 2018 |
192 |
1,519 |
0.1106% |
| 2019 |
191 |
1,505 |
0.1112% |
| 2020 |
228 |
1,247 |
0.098% |
| 2021 |
325 |
898 |
0.0735% |
District of Columbia (DC)
Data via SSA.gov.
Names Like Rachel
If you like Rachel, you’ll love these other names like Rachel.
What names are variants of Rachel?
Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Rachel.
| Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
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Rachael
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
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Racheal
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rachelanne
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rachelce
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rachele
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Racheli
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rachell
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rachelle
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rachil
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
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Rae
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A diminutive or nickname for Rachel.
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
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Raechel
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Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Raechell
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rahel
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rahil
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rakel
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Raquel
|
Ewe
|
Spanish
|
|
|
|
Raquela
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Spanish
|
|
|
|
Raquella
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Raquelle
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Spanish
|
|
|
|
Rashell
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rashelle
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Ray
|
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Raychel
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Raychelle
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Rechell
|
Ewe, female sheep
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Shell
|
Shell; Nickname for Michelle
|
English
|
|
|
|
Shelley
|
Sloped meadow
|
English
|
|
|
|
Shellie
|
Ewe, female sheep; sloped meadow
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
|
Shelly
|
Ewe, female sheep; little rock; rest; sloped meadow
|
Hebrew
|
|
|
What names sound like Rachel?
If you like how Rachel sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Rachel.
| Name |
Meaning |
Origin |
Popularity |
Other Gender |
Lists With Rachel
Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Rachel.
