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Name at a glance

Raphael

Raphael is a Hebrew name meaning 'God heals' or 'God has healed.'

Ranked #394 in US baby names in 2025, stable over the past 5 years.

Raphael is the healing archangel of the Book of Tobit, venerated in Catholic and Orthodox tradition as the third named archangel alongside Michael and Gabriel.

Browse namesRead Raphael's story
OriginHebrew
GenderBoy
FeelAngelic
PronunciationRAF-ay-el

Is Raphael biblical?

Depends on the canon

Biblical status Canon-dependent

Raphael is the healing archangel named in the Book of Tobit (Tobit 12:15), which is deuterocanonical in Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments and in the KJV 1611 Apocrypha but excluded from the Protestant canon.

Canon scope Catholic Old Testament (deuterocanonical Tobit); Orthodox Old Testament (deuterocanonical Tobit); KJV 1611 Apocrypha; excluded from Protestant Old Testament since the Reformation. See canon-dependent names.

Is Raphael a Christian name?

Yes

Christian tradition Foundational, across traditions

Raphael is venerated among the named archangels across the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions, with centuries of naming use especially in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese Christian families.

Plain answer

Raphael is named in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, and it is a strongly established cross-tradition Christian name through the archangel venerated by Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican tradition.

Confidence Moderate Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Raphael

Raphael comes from the Hebrew Rafa-El, combining the verb rapha ('he heals') with El ('God'). The traditional English rendering is 'God heals' or 'God has healed'; the etymology directly anchors the archangel's role in the Book of Tobit, where he heals Tobit's blindness and delivers Sarah from a demonic affliction. The Hebrew form passed through Greek Raphaēl and Latin Raphael into English unchanged; Spanish and Portuguese adopted the shortened Rafael form.

Sound

How to pronounce Raphael

Phonetic
RAF-ay-el
IPA
/ˈɹæfeɪəl/

3 syllables · stress: RAF-ay-el · ends in a consonant

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Rafael
  • Raffaello
  • Raphaël
  • Rafail

Short forms and nicknames

  • Rafe
  • Raff
  • Rafa

Languages

Raphael in other languages

Hebrew
רְפָאֵלRefa'elThe Hebrew form combines rapha ("he heals") with El ("God"); the etymology anchors the archangel's role as healer in the Book of Tobit.
Greek
ῬαφαήλRaphaēl
Latin
Raphael
Spanish
Rafael
Italian
Raffaello
French
Raphaël
German
Raphael
Portuguese
Rafael

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Raphael is the healing archangel named in the Book of Tobit. Catholic and Orthodox tradition commonly names Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael together as archangels, while wider Eastern traditions also name Uriel and other archangels. Catholic and Orthodox traditions venerate Raphael alongside Michael and Gabriel, honored together at Michaelmas. Traditional patronage extends to travelers, physicians, the blind and sick, and matchmakers. The Book of Tobit that names Raphael is deuterocanonical scripture in Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments; Protestant canons since the Reformation typically exclude it. The biblical angel names column reads Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael together as a naming decision.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Raphael is the healing archangel of the Book of Tobit, disguised as Azariah, who guides Tobias on his journey, arranges his marriage to Sarah, and heals Tobit's blindness.

Read the full story of Raphael in the Bible

Bearers

Notable people named Raphael

  • biblical

    Raphael the ArchangelThe healing archangel of the Book of Tobit, venerated in Catholic and Orthodox tradition with Michael and Gabriel

  • historical

    Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael)Italian Renaissance painter and architect, one of the trinity of great Renaissance masters alongside Leonardo and Michelangelo, 1483 to 1520

  • modern

    Rafael NadalSpanish tennis player and 22-time Grand Slam champion, born 1986

Saint

Saint Raphael the Archangel

Traditions
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican
Patron of
travelers, physicians, the blind, the sick, matchmakers, young people

Catholic tradition venerates Raphael alongside Michael and Gabriel as one of the three named archangels, honored together at Michaelmas. Eastern Orthodox tradition commemorates Raphael within the Synaxis of the Archangels. The Book of Tobit, which names Raphael, is deuterocanonical in Catholic and Orthodox scripture and included in the KJV 1611 Apocrypha, but excluded from the Protestant Old Testament since the Reformation.

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Raphael has been used as a Christian name across Catholic Europe and Latin America for centuries, particularly in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese traditions where the shortened Rafael form is standard. The Renaissance painter Raffaello Sanzio (1483 to 1520) is the most famous historical bearer. In the 2025 SSA data Raphael ranks #394, inside the Top 500 and above several better-known biblical names; the shortened Rafael form ranks separately and adds to the combined cross-tradition usage.

Recent US use

Raphael in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#394
Peak rank
#394 in 2025
Recent trend
stable over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
139 (since 1882)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

For families

For families looking at Raphael

For a Christian family, Raphael carries the register of divine healing, the domestic archangel of Tobit, and centuries of Catholic and Orthodox naming tradition. Ranked #394 in US baby names in 2025, inside the Top 500 with sustained cross-tradition use.

Common questions

What does Raphael mean?

Raphael is a Hebrew name meaning 'God heals' or 'God has healed.' The etymology combines rapha ('he heals') with El ('God') and anchors the archangel's role in the Book of Tobit.

Is Raphael a biblical name?

Raphael is named in the Book of Tobit, which is deuterocanonical scripture in Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments and included in the KJV 1611 Apocrypha. Protestant canons since the Reformation typically exclude Tobit; the name is still widely used across Protestant families for its Hebrew etymology and Christian heritage.

Is Raphael a Christian name?

Yes. Raphael is one of the most established Catholic and Orthodox naming traditions, with sustained use across Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese Christian families for centuries. The Renaissance painter Raphael Sanzio is the most famous historical bearer.

How popular is the name Raphael?

Raphael ranked #394 in US baby names in 2025, inside the Top 500. The shortened Rafael form is more common in Spanish-speaking Catholic families and ranks separately in SSA data; combined, the cross-tradition usage is substantially higher.

Sources

Sources for Raphael

  • The Book of Tobit (12:15) (deuterocanonical; Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments, KJV 1611 Apocrypha)Supports: canonical scope; scripture context.
  • A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and BriggsSupports: Hebrew etymology (rapha-el, God heals).
  • General Roman Calendar, feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael (September 29)Supports: cross-tradition archangel veneration; feast day.
  • National baby names data, US Social Security Administration (2025 release)Supports: US popularity.

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

MichaelThe named archangel-protector of Israel; Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are the three named archangels of Catholic and Orthodox tradition, honored together at Michaelmas.GabrielThe messenger archangel of Daniel and Luke; Gabriel and Raphael both appear at pivotal moments, Gabriel at the Annunciation and Raphael in the healing journey of Tobit.UrielBoth Uriel and Raphael appear in Christian traditions outside the Protestant canon. Raphael in Tobit (Catholic and Orthodox scripture); Uriel in 2 Esdras (Slavonic and Eastern Orthodox traditions) and 1 Enoch.EmmanuelBoth are Hebrew theophoric names ending in El ('God'). Raphael ('God heals') and Emmanuel ('God with us') both name a divine attribute or action directly through the name itself.