Rachel (given name)

Rachel
Dante's Vision of Rachel and Leah, the Biblical Rachel and Leah by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1855)
PronunciationEnglish: /ˈreɪtʃəl/ RAY-chəl
French: [ʁaʃɛl]
German Standard German: [ˈʁaxl̩] ⓘ
Austrian and Swiss Standard German: [ˈraxl̩]
Dutch: [ˈrɑxəl] ⓘ
Yiddish: [ˈrɔχl̩] ⓘ
Hungarian: [ˈraːɦɛl]
Scottish Gaelic: [ˈrˠaxəl]
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameHebrew
Meaning'ewe; one with purity'
Other names
NicknamesRae, Rach
Related namesRachael, Rae, Rahel, Raquel

Rachel (from Hebrew: רָחֵל, Modern: Raḥel [ʁaˈχel], Tiberian: Rāḥēl [rɔːˈħeːl]; lit. 'ewe') is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, popularized by the biblical figure Rachel, the wife of Israelite patriarch Jacob.

History of usage

Ashkenazi Jewish matronymic surnames Rokhlin (variants: Rochlin, Rohlin), Raskin, Raskine, Rashkin, Rashkind are derived from variants of the name. The Jewish version of the surname Ruskin is an Americanized form of Raskin.

Sixteenth century baptismal records from England show that Rachel was first used by English Christians in the mid-1500s, becoming popular during the Protestant Reformation along with other biblical names.

The name has been among the five hundred most commonly used names in recent years for newborn girls in France, Ireland, Israel, United Kingdom and the United States.

In various languages

Women named Rachel

Notable people with the name include:

Women named Rachael

Women named Rachelle

Women named Rachele

Fictional characters named Rachel (or variants thereof)

Variant names

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Strong's Hebrew: 7353. רָחֵל (rachel) – ewe". Biblehub.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  2. ↑ "Leah and Rachel (No. 295)". Ccg.org. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  3. ↑ Hanks, Patrick (2003-05-08). Dictionary of American Family Names: 3-Volume Set. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-19-508137-4.
  4. ↑ Redmonds, George, Christian Names in Local and Family History, Dundurn Press, 2004, ISBN 1-55002-507-4 p. 41
  5. ↑ "Outil interactif sur les prénoms".
  6. ↑ "Introduction – CSO – Central Statistics Office".
  7. ↑ "England and Wales Baby Names".
  8. ↑ "Popular Baby Names".
  9. ↑ "101 Most Popular Jewish Girls Names in Israel in 2019 – B&F: Jewish Genealogy and More". 9 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Lansky, Bruce, 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book Da Capo Lifelong Books; Revised edition (July 9, 2019), ISBN 978-0-306-92298-5
  11. ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Rachele". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  12. ↑ "LearnGaelic – 20 Words – Vocabulary: Female names". learngaelic.scot. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
  13. ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Ráhel". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  14. ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Rahela". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Raheleh". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  16. ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Ráichéal". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  17. ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Rhachel". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  18. ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Raakel". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  19. ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Rakel". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  20. ↑ "Rakul – Nordic Names". www.nordicnames.de. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  21. ↑ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Raquel". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  22. ↑ Shmuel Gorr, Jewish Personal Names: Their Origin, Derivation, and Diminutive Forms, 1992, ISBN 0962637327 p. 75 (also an online list by the author, based on the book)
  23. ↑ Frederick Quinn, The Sum of All Heresies: The Image of Islam in Western Thought, p. 85
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