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Rachel as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Rachel

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The baby name Rachel is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced RAY-chəl (IPA: /ˈreɪtʃəl/).

Rachel is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: RAY-chəl (IPA: /ˈreɪtʃəl/)

What is the meaning of the name Rachel ?

The baby name Rachel is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced RAY-chəl (IPA: /ˈreɪtʃəl/).

Rachel is Hebrew in Origin.

Rachel derives from Hebrew Raḥel (רָחֵל), meaning “ewe,” a symbol of gentleness and fertility. In the Hebrew Bible, Rachel is the beloved wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin, a matriarch whose story shaped the name’s enduring appeal across Jewish communities. The imagery of pastoral beauty and devotion gave the name a warm, timeless aura that translated readily into many languages.

Use spread into wider Christian Europe during the Reformation, when biblical names flourished in English-speaking countries. In the United States and the UK, Rachel enjoyed strong popularity in the late 20th century and has remained familiar and classic. International variants include Rahel (German/Scandinavian), Rakel (Nordic), Raquel (Spanish/Portuguese), Rachele (Italian), Rachela (Polish), and Rakhil/Rahil (Slavic/Arabic transliterations). English spellings Rachael and French-influenced Rachelle also appear. Common short forms are Rae, Ray, and Rach.

Rachel has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Rachel

Rachel Weisz Actor · Born 1970 · United States Rachel Weisz is a British actress best known for films like The Mummy, The Constant Gardener, and The Favourite. She’s known for both independent movies and major blockbusters, and has won awards including an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe. Rachel McAdams Actor · Born 1978 · Canada Rachel McAdams is a Canadian actress best known for films like Mean Girls, The Notebook, and Spotlight. She studied theatre at York University and has built a career across comedy, drama, television, and stage work. Rachel Zegler Actor · Born 2001 · United States Rachel Zegler is an American actress and singer best known for playing María in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021). Born in 2001, she broke out with that performance and won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Rachel Bilson Actor · Born 1981 · United States Rachel Bilson is an American actress best known for playing Summer Roberts on the hit teen drama The O.C. Born into a California show-business family, she made her TV debut in 2003 and quickly became widely recognized for that breakout role. Rachel Griffiths Actor · Born 1968 · Australia Rachel Griffiths is an Australian actress best known for Muriel's Wedding, Six Feet Under, and Brothers & Sisters. Born on December 18, 1968, and raised mainly in Melbourne, she started out on the Australian series Secrets before her supporting role in Muriel's Wedding earned her an AACTA Award. Rachel Brosnahan Actor · Born 1990 · United States Rachel Brosnahan is best known for playing Midge Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She is an American actress who rose to fame through that hit Amazon Prime Video series.

Celebrity babies named Rachel

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Rachel Sutherland Donald Sutherland television actor
Rachel Pollack Sydney Pollack television actor
Rachel Weiss Kathleen Turner television actor
Rachel Samberg Joanna Newsom television actor Andy Samberg television actor

Rachel – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 874
BI 0 #12 1 425
KR Girls 0 #12 4 572
MT 0 #13 32 1,767
IL Girls 0 #16 3,780 11,648
BF Girls 0 #17 1 315
BW 0 #18 2 960
NA 0 #18 16 2,537
NA Girls 0 #19 460 7,146
SG Girls 0 #21 2,573 18,916
SG 0 #21 417 11,010
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
MO 0 #25 28 2,706
KR Boys 0 #27 1 897
BN 0 #29 4 2,297
BI Girls 0 #31 3 726
PS Girls 0 #33 1,717 10,981
MV Girls 0 #34 2 2,021
CM 0 #35 21 2,592
NL Girls 2014 #36 39 73
MT Girls 0 #36 156 3,773
ID 0 #38 2 2,238
CN Girls 0 #42 802 8,829
CN 0 #42 44 3,857
PH 0 #45 52 5,607
LU 0 #52 15 2,830
PR 0 #54 2 1,497
CM Girls 0 #56 1,519 11,671
BW Girls 0 #59 100 4,216
CY 0 #59 2 1,632
IL 0 #60 398 6,291
TW 0 #60 41 4,523
HK Girls 0 #62 2,282 16,104
MO Girls 0 #64 247 7,056
AO 0 #66 11 2,729
PS 0 #67 184 5,692
New Zealand Girls 2006 #69 44 96
JP 0 #69 9 4,057
IN 0 #70 2 2,963
CR 0 #72 90 5,526
MY 0 #74 322 12,352
ID Girls 0 #79 20 3,319
QA 0 #80 21 7,011
HK 0 #81 412 8,483
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
ZA Girls 0 #82 5,678 25,928
BN Girls 0 #83 24 5,459
JM 0 #88 6 3,714
PH Girls 0 #88 430 13,098
TW Girls 0 #95 220 8,139
SD 0 #101 2 2,130
KW 0 #103 14 5,216
CY Girls 0 #105 17 3,755
OM 0 #105 12 6,215
HU 0 #111 5 1,675
Norway Girls 2024 #117 5 444
MU 0 #117 20 3,613
MY Girls 0 #120 2,722 24,821
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
LU Girls 0 #123 65 4,850
AE 0 #127 51 10,220
Switzerland Girls 2024 #129 7 1,786
PA 0 #130 9 3,797
GR 0 #132 4 3,911
Belgium Girls 2024 #136 50 424
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
JO 0 #139 2 2,158
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
QA Girls 0 #149 175 15,378
PR Girls 0 #150 12 3,171
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
Canada Girls 2024 #155 140 2,795
AO Girls 0 #160 50 4,575
Sweden Girls 2022 #175 5 1,568
MU Girls 0 #176 184 8,539
NL Girls 0 #176 2,233 5,933
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
UY 0 #181 2 2,477
CZ 0 #183 4 3,154
GH Girls 0 #183 176 6,973
CR Girls 0 #185 532 11,342
JP Girls 0 #187 59 6,592
AR 0 #189 5 2,915
DK 0 #189 15 5,198
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
JM Girls 0 #201 59 7,507
AE Girls 0 #202 407 20,968
France Girls 2021 #203 238 3,185
NG Girls 0 #207 1,503 15,093
HU Girls 0 #210 14 3,308
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
OM Girls 0 #217 184 15,987
GR Girls 0 #218 25 6,293
United States Girls 2024 #222 1,285 8,487
NG 0 #222 43 5,926
GH 0 #223 21 5,396
AL Girls 0 #224 4 4,141
BG Girls 0 #226 6 3,559
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NL 0 #231 171 2,481
MO Boys 0 #232 3 5,842
PT 0 #232 15 4,161
BD 0 #239 3 5,992
ZA 0 #242 210 14,421
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
NA Boys 0 #246 8 6,830
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
EC Girls 0 #253 6 3,650
TW Boys 0 #253 4 7,111
KW Girls 0 #254 282 19,177
PA Girls 0 #265 243 9,861
DK Girls 0 #268 49 7,429
SA 0 #269 27 10,560
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
HR Girls 0 #293 2 3,687
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
PE 0 #295 16 6,350
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
Canada Boys 1995 #298 6 1,834
JO Girls 0 #303 23 7,570
BR 0 #305 41 5,969
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
GT 0 #305 10 5,948
CZ Girls 0 #307 35 5,378
KZ Girls 0 #309 12 5,862
France Boys 1978 #322 4 1,433
CN Boys 0 #328 4 9,639
SD Girls 0 #332 14 7,678
PL Girls 0 #345 10 5,096
Spain 0 #347 106 2,326
GH Boys 0 #357 5 8,138
Finland Girls 0 #364 28 1,368
BO 0 #367 15 6,868
MU Boys 0 #369 1 8,477
BD Girls 0 #372 15 8,413
MX 0 #379 35 8,339
PT Girls 0 #379 73 7,952
Austria Girls 0 #380 41 1,885
CL 0 #384 28 6,867
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
RU Girls 0 #402 97 11,913
PH Boys 0 #403 6 11,440
Germany 0 #405 33 2,542
EG 0 #406 7 6,387
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
Spain Girls 0 #430 801 5,561
CL Girls 0 #435 545 14,098
GT Girls 0 #441 65 7,500
BH 0 #456 98 17,937
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
CO 0 #471 10 7,768
LB 0 #480 182 13,263
UY Girls 0 #490 21 6,731
IQ Girls 0 #492 13 11,303
IR Girls 0 #493 38 8,334
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PA Boys 0 #502 4 9,305
HK Boys 0 #503 25 12,905
CR Boys 0 #504 7 10,188
CM Boys 0 #506 45 12,054
RU Boys 0 #520 7 12,621
LY 0 #523 13 12,703
BR Girls 0 #531 507 12,708
PS Boys 0 #532 17 10,655
BO Girls 0 #536 76 9,488
SA Girls 0 #540 421 25,931
AR Girls 0 #550 50 8,289
BD Boys 0 #565 12 10,045
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
IT 0 #566 150 4,183
IN Girls 0 #575 57 13,121
IL Boys 0 #580 28 10,983
Germany Girls 0 #587 268 4,949
MX Girls 0 #593 862 17,781
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
Finland Girls 2026 #625 115 3,895
SY 0 #675 54 11,684
PE Girls 0 #677 279 14,861
SG Boys 0 #682 16 17,960
IQ Boys 0 #694 4 13,071
QA Boys 0 #694 14 18,093
CL Boys 0 #697 4 13,390
IT Girls 0 #709 1,010 9,415
KW Boys 0 #753 17 18,755
BR Boys 0 #782 4 12,213
TN 0 #786 44 13,765
OM Boys 0 #866 16 17,948
United States Boys 2018 #880 5 7,242
EG Girls 0 #880 80 14,742
CO Girls 0 #901 178 16,140
EG Boys 0 #919 7 15,035
PE Boys 0 #925 2 14,506
NG Boys 0 #926 26 16,906
DZ 0 #931 246 20,130
NL Boys 0 #940 12 5,873
MX Boys 0 #971 12 16,355
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
MA 0 #1,027 102 20,986
IN Boys 0 #1,031 9 16,750
ZA Boys 0 #1,064 115 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,078 34 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,080 13 22,615
TR 0 #1,159 53 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,455 17 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,574 41 28,008

Rachel is popular in 90 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
NL
Norway
Scotland, United Kingdom

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Rachel

Rachel is predominantly a girl's name.
Rachel is a 2 syllable name, pronounced RAY-chəl (IPA: /ˈreɪtʃəl/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Rachael, Rachelle, Rachele, Rahel, Rachela and Raechel.
Across languages, Rachel has these equivalents: {'Hebrew': 'רָחֵל (Raḥel), 'Russian': 'Рахиль (Rakhil).
Yes, very popular — Rachel ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 13 countries.
Rachel ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Rachel's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.
Yes — 27 notable people named Rachel are in our database, including Rachel Weisz (Actor), Rachel McAdams (Actor), Rachel Zegler (Actor).
Yes — at least 4 celebrity couples have chosen Rachel for their child, including Donald Sutherland.