Fun Facts About the Name Rafela
- 11 babies named Rafela: U.S. records list 11 babies given the name Rafela from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Rafela Mean?
Rafela is a feminine name meaning "God has healed," from Hebrew Refa'el (רְפָאֵל), a compound of rafa, "to heal," and El, "God." It is a variant of Rafaela, the feminine form of Rafael (Raphael), the archangel whose name appears in Jewish and Christian tradition. The spelling Rafela keeps the meaning and derivation of the parent name unchanged.
Rafela Name History & Origins
The masculine Rafael passed into European naming through the archangel Raphael, whose story is told in the Book of Tobit. In that account Raphael travels in disguise with Tobias, drives off a demon, and heals the blindness of Tobias's father, Tobit. The book was preserved in Greek and Latin and was widely read, and Raphael became a popular patron of travelers, the sick, and the medical professions. Devotion to him grew through the Middle Ages, and the name Rafael became common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Poland.
Feminine forms followed the masculine name in each language: Rafaela in Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish, Raffaella in Italian, and Raphaëlle in French. Rafela belongs to this group. It is a less common variant of Rafaela, differing only by the dropped vowel in the middle of the name; the two spellings carry the same Hebrew derivation and are used in the same broad regions, with Rafaela appearing far more often.
How Popular is the Name Rafela?
Rafela has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1915. Its best rank was #4,167 in 1915.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | #5,142 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1915 | #4,167 | 6 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with R
How the Name Rafela Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Rafela's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Rafela's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.