Rafael
A surname and given name from the biblical Hebrew name meaning “God has healed,” especially common in Spanish-speaking communities.
The #9,006 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 85,030 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Rafael ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Rafa’el, usually explained as meaning “God has healed” or “God heals.” The name passed into Greek and Latin Christian tradition through the archangel Raphael, which helped it spread widely across Europe. As a surname, it is typically taken from the personal name rather than from a separate common noun.
History
Rafael is much more familiar as a given name than as a surname, but in Spanish and other Christian naming traditions it could be inherited from an ancestor named Rafael. The form spread through the popularity of the archangel in medieval and early modern Europe, and later through Spanish-language naming practices in the Americas and elsewhere. In modern records it is found chiefly in Hispanic communities, though it can occur in other languages and cultures as well.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name is tied to one of the three archangels named in the Bible, which is why it has remained popular for centuries as both a first name and, less often, a surname.
From the historical record
“Zacarias Cuadra Rosalia Riquelme Rafael Sanchez O. Rebeca Cuadra Bríjida Parra Sinforiano Sanchez N. del C. Cármen Luisa Sanchez”
— Diccionario de los apellidos