Raffaele

Raffaele - A very unique male name

Raffaele appeared on the charts for the first time in 1914 on position #1166. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Raffaele and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Raffaele? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Raffaele. The baby boy name Raffaele was given to 5 baby boys in 2025, ranking #4224 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 293,257 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Raffaele peaked in popularity 112 years ago in 1914 on position 1166.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Raffaele, 1-5?

Raffaele is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Raffaele is currently topping the baby name charts in New Jersey at position #1,146 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #1,146.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Raffaele is where you live.

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Raffaele origin and meaning

Italian, from Hebrew

Italian form of Raphael, from Hebrew, 'God has healed'

Raffaele is the standard Italian form of Raphael, the archangel's name, and has centuries of use in Italy, including the Renaissance painter better known by the related form Raffaello. US use is sparse and long-running, from 1914, reflecting Italian-American families. The painter's usual forms are Raphael and Raffaello, not Raffaele, so no bearer is listed for this exact spelling.

Attested etymology

Raffaele is a 8 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Raffaele, pop culture references for the name Raffaele and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Raffaele

We've found the following names that sound similar to Raffaele, sorted by popularity.

Rafael / Raphael / Ripley / Refael / Rapheal / Rebel / Refoel / Rafeal / Robel / Rafal /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Raffaele

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Raffaele a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Raffaele?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

raf-fah-EH-leh · /rɑfɑˈɛleɪ/
The Italian name has four syllables; the syllable table records 2, which understates it.

Around the world

• Raffaele (Italian) — The source form
• Rafael (Spanish) — Spanish cognate
• Raphael (German) — German and English cognate

Spellings and nicknames

• Rafael — Spanish and Portuguese form
• Raphael — English and German form
• Raffaello — The painter's Italian form; a separate name

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

ClassicInternationalBiblical

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Raffaele for the full Italian form of a classic archangel name, with its art-history glow kept at one remove.

Worth knowing

• English speakers will shorten it to Rafael or Raphael and drop syllables
• The syllable table understates it — it is four syllables in Italian