Rachel: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced RAY-chuhl · 2 syllables

Rachel means “ewe”, from Hebrew and Latin and Greek.

Borrowed from Late Latin Rachel, from Ancient Greek (Rhakhel), from Biblical Hebrew (rahel, “ewe”). Doublet of Raquel.

How popular is Rachel?

Rachel was the #250 name in the US in 2025, given to 1,225 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 45% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1980.

Babies named Rachel in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 1980).

Half of US adults named Rachel are older than 38; most are between 22 and 65. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Rachel have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Rachel means “ewe”. It comes from Hebrew and Latin and Greek.

Rachel is pronounced RAY-chuhl.

Rachel was the #250 name in the US in 2025, given to 1,225 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 45% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1980.

Half of US adults named Rachel are older than 38. Most are between 22 and 65.