How common is the surname Rafael?

3,631 people in the United States had the surname Rafael in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 85,030 Americans. It ranked 9,006th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Rafael?

Nando Rafael, Angolan football player, followed by Alex Rafael.

Where is the surname Rafael most common?

Wikidata records people named Rafael in Germany and Brazil.

Is the surname Rafael getting more or less common?

More common. 2,445 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 3,631 in 2010, up 49%.

Is Rafael also a first name?

Yes. Rafael is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Rafael

A surname, carried by 3,631 people in the United States.

3 syllables Soundex R140 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Rafael is more common than 94.4% of them.

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 3,631 people named Rafael in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 85,030 Americans. That is up 49% since 2000, when the Census counted 2,445.

#9,006

rank among US surnames

3,631

people in 2010

1.2

per 100,000 Americans

+48.5%

change since 2000 (was #11,734)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#8,999	Turgeon	3,635	84,937
#9,001	Nolt	3,634	84,960
#9,003	Hames	3,633	84,984
#9,006	Cogan	3,631	85,030
#9,011	Hirst	3,630	85,054
#9,013	Traynor	3,628	85,101

Who is named Rafael

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

63% of people named Rafael identified as Hispanic or Latino (any race), 16% as Asian and Pacific Islander and 15% as white (not Hispanic).

Hispanic or Latino (any race) 63%
Asian and Pacific Islander 16%
White (not Hispanic) 15%
American Indian and Alaska Native 2.2%
Black (not Hispanic) 2.1%
Two or more races 1.4%

Compare: most common surnames among Hispanic and Latino Americans.

Famous Rafaels

2 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Nando Rafael
Angolan football player, born 1984
Alex Rafael
Brazilian association football player, born 1988

Notable Rafaels come mostly from Germany (1) and Brazil (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Rafael

Rafael has the Soundex code R140, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code R140.

Questions

How common is the surname Rafael?: 3,631 people in the United States had the surname Rafael in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 85,030 Americans. It ranked 9,006th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Rafael?: In the 2010 Census, 63% of people named Rafael identified as Hispanic or Latino (any race), and 16% as Asian and Pacific Islander.
Who is the most famous person named Rafael?: Nando Rafael, Angolan football player, followed by Alex Rafael.
Where is the surname Rafael most common?: Wikidata records people named Rafael in Germany and Brazil.
Is the surname Rafael getting more or less common?: More common. 2,445 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 3,631 in 2010, up 49%.
Is Rafael also a first name?: Yes. Rafael is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.