Given name & surname
Rael
“as innocent as a lamb”
Rael is used as a given name and a surname. One African interpretation is “as innocent as a lamb.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One African interpretation is “as innocent as a lamb.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is African.
How it developed
In Cebuano usage, Rael is a diminutive of Israel.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1971. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Rael through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 660
- 458 boys · 202 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 72 babies
- 2025
- 66
- #2,529 for boys · #8,237 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +158%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 53 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,529 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 146.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 13 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Florida and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 660 as a first name in 2020; 3,403 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Rael’s family of names
In Cebuano usage, Rael is a diminutive of Israel. Rael has a related form in Raele. Rael has a related form in Rail.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Rael
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rael, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Azi
“one who is youthful”
>99% boys
Cheikh
“a learned man”
>99% boys
Ayan
“one who is bright”
90% boys · 10% girls
Kazi
“a hardworking man”
79% boys · 21% girls
Nalo
“a lovable daughter” · “one who is lovable”
>99% boys
Sekai
“one who brings laughter and great joy” · “one who laughs often”
90% boys · 10% girls
Bash
“the forerunner” · “one who likes to party”
>99% boys
Neo
“a gift from God” · “brand-new”
>99% boys