# Rachel (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/rachel/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | Hebrew |
| Meaning | “ewe” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹeɪ.tʃəl/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | Ray, Rae, Rach, Raerae |
| Variant spellings | Rachael, Rachelle, Rach |
| US babies named this | 575,748 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 1,791 / 573,957 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 19,140, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin Rāchēl, from Ancient Greek Ῥαχήλ (Rhakhḗl), from Biblical Hebrew רָחֵל (rāḫēl, “ewe”). Doublet of Raquel.

## What it means

Rachel is grouped under lamb.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2,664 | 116 |
| 2012 | 2,420 | 130 |
| 2013 | 2,325 | 137 |
| 2014 | 2,090 | 155 |
| 2015 | 1,941 | 167 |
| 2016 | 1,884 | 171 |
| 2017 | 1,622 | 191 |
| 2018 | 1,558 | 198 |
| 2019 | 1,548 | 191 |
| 2020 | 1,305 | 226 |
| 2021 | 1,271 | 239 |
| 2022 | 1,263 | 240 |
| 2023 | 1,224 | 254 |
| 2024 | 1,292 | 246 |
| 2025 | 1,225 | 250 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 18 | 3,968 |
| 1999 | 17 | 4,292 |
| 2000 | 12 | 5,828 |
| 2001 | 8 | 8,129 |
| 2002 | 15 | 5,082 |
| 2003 | 14 | 5,482 |
| 2004 | 34 | 3,001 |
| 2005 | 13 | 6,133 |
| 2006 | 7 | 10,389 |
| 2007 | 7 | 10,625 |
| 2008 | 5 | 14,119 |
| 2009 | 5 | 14,005 |
| 2012 | 7 | 10,497 |
| 2014 | 5 | 13,569 |
| 2018 | 5 | 13,643 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 271 | 190 |
| 2012 | 230 | 219 |
| 2013 | 220 | 227 |
| 2014 | 209 | 235 |
| 2015 | 179 | 272 |
| 2016 | 193 | 263 |
| 2017 | 173 | 283 |
| 2018 | 147 | 323 |
| 2019 | 139 | 331 |
| 2020 | 126 | 352 |
| 2021 | 125 | 367 |
| 2022 | 107 | 395 |
| 2023 | 97 | 421 |
| 2024 | 114 | 377 |
| 2025 | 106 | 394 |

## In other languages

- Bulgarian: Ре́йчъл
- Catalan: Raquel
- Chinese: 蕾切爾 /蕾切尔
- Danish: Rakel
- Estonian: Raili
- Greek: Ρέιτσελ
- Hebrew: רָחֵל
- Hindi: रेचल
- Hungarian: Ráchel
- Icelandic: Rakel
- Irish: Ráchael
- Portuguese: Raquel
- Russian: Рэ́йчел
- Scottish Gaelic: Raonaid, Raghnaid
- Spanish: Raquel

## People named Rachel

- Rachel Carson, American marine biologist and conservationist (1907–1964)
- Rachel McAdams, Canadian actress (born 1978)
- Rachel Weisz, British actress (born 1970)
- Rachel Maddow, American television news host and political commentator (born 1973)
- Rachel Zegler, American actress (born 2001)
- Rachel Bilson, American actress
- Rachel Corrie, American anti-war and human rights activist
- Rachel Brosnahan, American actress
- Rachel Griffiths, Australian actress
- Rachel Nichols, American actress and model (born 1980)
- Rachel Ruysch, Dutch artist (1664–1750)
- Rachel Platten, American singer, songwriter and author (born 1981)

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.