Given name
Raphaela
“the divine healer”·“one who is healed by God”
Raphaela is a feminine form of Raphael. One Hebrew interpretation is “one who is healed by God.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Hebrew use, Raphaela carries the interpretation “the divine healer.” Raphaela is a feminine form of Raphael. One Hebrew interpretation is “one who is healed by God.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
Raphaela is used as a feminine counterpart of Raphael.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Raphaela through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 499
- 0 boys · 499 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 19 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #11,702 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −16%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 11,702 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 16.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 19 in 2016. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 670 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Raphaela’s family of names
In English usage, Raphaela has a diminutive in Rafa. Raphaela is a feminine form of Raphael. In German usage, Raphaela has a related form in Rafaela.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Raphaela has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
7 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Raphaela
- Raphaela FolieItalian volleyball playerborn 1991
- Raphaela LukudoItalian athletics competitorborn 1994
- Raphaela NeihausenAmerican filmmaker, director and producerborn 1976
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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