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Raquel as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Raquel

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The baby name Raquel is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced English: /rəˈkɛl/ (ruh-KEL); Spanish/Portuguese: /raˈkel/ (rah-KEL).

Raquel is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: English: /rəˈkɛl/ (ruh-KEL); Spanish/Portuguese: /raˈkel/ (rah-KEL)

What is the meaning of the name Raquel ?

The baby name Raquel is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced English: /rəˈkɛl/ (ruh-KEL); Spanish/Portuguese: /raˈkel/ (rah-KEL).

Raquel is Hebrew in Origin.

Raquel is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Rachel, from the Hebrew Raḥel, meaning “ewe,” a symbol of gentleness and fertility. It names the beloved second wife of the patriarch Jacob in the Hebrew Bible, which anchored the name across Jewish and Christian traditions. In Spanish it is pronounced rah-KEL; in Portuguese, hah-KEL/rah-KEL.

Documented in medieval Iberia and long favored among Sephardic communities, Raquel traveled through colonial-era Spanish and Portuguese spheres, becoming familiar across Latin America. In the United States it rose to broader notice in the 1960s, helped by actress Raquel Welch. International variants include Rachel and Rachael (English), Rahel (German/Scandinavian), Rachelle (French/English), Rachele (Italian), and Rahela (Slavic/Balkan); Raquela appears in some Spanish and Hebrew contexts. Common diminutives are Raqui, Quel, Queli, and Quelita. The name’s pastoral meaning evokes tenderness, devotion, and quiet strength.

Raquel has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Raquel

Raquel Welch Actor · Born 1940 · United States Raquel Welch was an American actress best known as a 1960s and 1970s screen icon. She first broke through with Fantastic Voyage and also became widely recognized for roles in One Million Years B.C. and The Three Musketeers. Raquel Castro Actor · Born 1994 · United States Raquel Castro is an American actress and singer best known for playing Gertie Trinké in the 2004 film Jersey Girl. She starred alongside Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in the movie, and her performance won her a Young Artist Award. Raquel Cassidy Actor · Born 1969 · United Kingdom Raquel Cassidy is an English actress best known for playing Phyllis Baxter on Downton Abbey. She appeared in the series from 2013 to 2015, and the ensemble won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series.
Raquel Torres Actor · Born 1908 · United States Raquel Torres was a Mexican-born American film actress best known for her work in early Hollywood films. She appeared in movies like White Shadows in the South Seas, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and Girl of the Port, and she was the sister of actress Renee Torres.

Raquel – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
SV 0 #9 3 283
Spain Girls 0 #12 36,232 5,561
SV Girls 0 #13 6 458
BW 0 #19 1 960
HN 0 #21 2 704
PT Girls 0 #23 7,690 7,952
MU Girls 0 #25 1,698 8,539
BR Girls 0 #29 11,524 12,708
Spain 0 #29 2,214 2,326
HN Girls 0 #31 8 884
MU 0 #31 241 3,613
PT 0 #32 1,010 4,161
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
UY Girls 0 #41 3,360 6,731
PR 0 #46 10 1,497
PA Girls 0 #47 1,302 9,861
CR Girls 0 #50 1,753 11,342
HN Boys 0 #51 2 749
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
PR Girls 0 #54 145 3,171
LU 0 #55 12 2,830
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
BR 0 #57 579 5,969
PH 0 #58 39 5,607
AO 0 #62 15 2,729
JP 0 #71 7 4,057
AO Girls 0 #74 174 4,575
CR 0 #79 82 5,526
CN 0 #81 6 3,857
PA 0 #84 47 3,797
PE Girls 0 #86 6,279 14,861
BO Girls 0 #87 2,137 9,488
JM 0 #89 5 3,714
AR Girls 0 #90 2,207 8,289
PH Girls 0 #91 421 13,098
MX Girls 0 #92 10,004 17,781
UY 0 #96 86 2,477
EC 0 #98 18 2,502
LU Girls 0 #99 96 4,850
EC Girls 0 #101 171 3,650
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
QA 0 #102 5 7,011
TW 0 #102 2 4,523
CL Girls 0 #109 4,390 14,098
BN Girls 0 #111 4 5,459
GT Girls 0 #113 794 7,500
OM 0 #113 9 6,215
KW 0 #114 8 5,216
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
Switzerland Girls 2024 #134 2 1,786
MT Girls 0 #140 12 3,773
AR 0 #144 43 2,915
PE 0 #146 190 6,350
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
AE 0 #159 19 10,220
Sweden Girls 2017 #173 2 1,647
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
BO 0 #179 237 6,868
MX 0 #180 275 8,339
JP Girls 0 #184 62 6,592
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
GT 0 #196 121 5,948
MO Girls 0 #198 54 7,056
DK 0 #202 5 5,198
CO Girls 0 #203 4,195 16,140
PS 0 #208 11 5,692
QA Girls 0 #210 108 15,378
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
JM Girls 0 #216 44 7,507
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
NA Girls 0 #230 8 7,146
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
GR Girls 0 #243 7 6,293
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
CL 0 #252 183 6,867
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
SG 0 #253 17 11,010
IL 0 #258 17 6,291
SA 0 #270 26 10,560
Canada Girls 2024 #279 7 2,795
TW Girls 0 #282 8 8,139
JM Boys 0 #289 5 6,876
KW Girls 0 #290 235 19,177
OM Girls 0 #294 103 15,987
DK Girls 0 #298 19 7,429
AE Girls 0 #313 244 20,968
JO Girls 0 #313 13 7,570
CO 0 #321 174 7,768
GH Girls 0 #332 6 6,973
CN Girls 0 #334 16 8,829
PT Boys 0 #338 30 7,951
NL 0 #348 44 2,481
CZ Girls 0 #350 2 5,378
HK 0 #353 5 8,483
MY 0 #354 1 12,352
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
UY Boys 0 #363 37 5,922
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
Finland Girls 0 #375 17 1,368
France Girls 2021 #386 20 3,185
Austria Girls 0 #394 27 1,885
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
PH Boys 0 #402 7 11,440
BD Girls 0 #405 2 8,413
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
SG Girls 0 #414 175 18,916
ZA 0 #414 34 14,421
PS Girls 0 #422 102 10,981
Germany 0 #423 15 2,542
AR Boys 0 #444 24 7,628
IL Girls 0 #444 179 11,648
GT Boys 0 #452 23 7,625
PA Boys 0 #462 20 9,305
SA Girls 0 #467 517 25,931
BH 0 #468 86 17,937
CR Boys 0 #477 11 10,188
HK Girls 0 #481 135 16,104
RU Girls 0 #516 8 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #523 3 11,303
IR Girls 0 #544 2 8,334
HK Boys 0 #555 3 12,905
CM Girls 0 #559 2 11,671
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
BO Boys 0 #576 17 9,244
BR Boys 0 #583 172 12,213
LB 0 #624 35 13,263
CL Boys 0 #629 37 13,390
IT 0 #632 83 4,183
NL Girls 0 #661 303 5,933
United States Girls 2024 #686 232 8,487
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
IT Girls 0 #696 1,058 9,415
Finland Girls 2026 #710 29 3,895
Germany Girls 0 #719 120 4,949
QA Boys 0 #741 3 18,093
Spain Boys 0 #756 177 5,610
KW Boys 0 #758 12 18,755
SY 0 #760 8 11,684
NG Girls 0 #773 14 15,093
ZA Girls 0 #798 360 25,928
PE Boys 0 #806 73 14,506
United States Boys 2004 #828 5 7,246
MX Boys 0 #829 155 16,355
TN 0 #861 5 13,765
CO Boys 0 #880 41 15,656
OM Boys 0 #915 4 17,948
EG Boys 0 #924 2 15,035
MY Girls 0 #953 42 24,821
EG Girls 0 #1,001 9 14,742
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
MA 0 #1,116 13 20,986
AE Boys 0 #1,139 5 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,181 2 25,439
DZ 0 #1,232 3 20,130
TR 0 #1,249 6 19,440
ZA Boys 0 #1,264 9 25,619
SA Boys 0 #1,597 18 28,008

Raquel is popular in 79 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
United States
Switzerland
New York City (White, non-Hispanic), United States

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People also ask about Raquel

Raquel is predominantly a girl's name.
Raquel is a 2 syllable name, pronounced English: /rəˈkɛl/ (ruh-KEL); Spanish/Portuguese: /raˈkel/ (rah-KEL).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Racquel, Rakel, Raqel, Raquela, Rachael and Rachelle.
Across languages, Raquel has these equivalents: Rachel (English/Hebrew), Rachelle (French), Rachele (Italian), Rakel / Raakel (Scandinavian/Finnish), Ráhel (Hungarian), and 1 more.
Yes — Raquel ranked #134 in Switzerland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Raquel ranks highest in Switzerland (#134 in 2024).
Raquel's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #405 in 2011 to #386 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 4 notable people named Raquel are in our database, including Raquel Welch (Actor), Raquel Castro (Actor), Raquel Cassidy (Actor).