Fun Facts About the Name Rashel
- More than 1 thousand babies named Rashel: U.S. records list 1,202 babies given the name Rashel from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Rashel Mean?
Rashel is a feminine given name used as a variant spelling of Rachel. It comes from the Hebrew name רָחֵל (Rachel), which means "ewe," a female sheep. The Hebrew word is the ordinary term for a ewe in the Bible, so the meaning is literal rather than symbolic.
The spelling Rashel represents the same name with the Hebrew letter ḥet rendered as "sh." In French, the biblical name is pronounced ra-SHEL, and English spellings such as Rashel use "sh" to capture that sound. It is not a different name from a different root; it is a phonetic variant of Rachel.
Later writers sometimes treat the meaning as gentleness or innocence, but those are symbolic interpretations, not the etymological meaning. Rashel is distinct from Rochelle, a name that comes from the French place name La Rochelle and means "little rock."
Rashel Name History & Origins
The parent name Rachel appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. In the Hebrew text, her name is רָחֵל. The name was translated into Greek as Ῥαχήλ (Rhachēl) in the Septuagint and into Latin as Rachel in the Vulgate. From these biblical forms, the name entered many European languages.
In French, the name became Rachel, pronounced with a final "sh" sound because the Hebrew letter ḥet was written as "ch" in French, where "ch" is pronounced /ʃ/. The spelling Rashel uses "sh" to represent that sound, as in the French pronunciation. The standard English form of the biblical name is Rachel, pronounced RAY-chel; Rashel is a less common variant that follows the French pronunciation.
In Russian, the form Рашель (Rashel') is used as a given name, borrowed from French. It appears in 19th-century Russian literature; Anton Chekhov's short story "Rashel" was published in 1883. That literary use is a later association, not the source of the name. In English, Rashel is used as a feminine given name, chiefly as a variant spelling of Rachel.
How Popular is the Name Rashel?
Rashel 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 2008. Its best rank was #2,153 in 2000.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,953 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #6,322 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2023 | #9,468 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #11,040 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #10,103 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #12,252 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #9,224 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #8,768 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #7,534 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2014 | #4,746 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2013 | #8,481 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #4,578 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2011 | #5,030 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #5,934 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2009 | #5,345 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2008 | #2,413 | 80 | 0.0042% |
| 2007 | #5,197 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2006 | #4,774 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2005 | #3,712 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 2004 | #4,258 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2003 | #3,078 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 2002 | #3,381 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 2001 | #2,374 | 67 | 0.0037% |
| 2000 | #2,153 | 75 | 0.0041% |
| 1999 | #3,362 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1998 | #6,631 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #5,173 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1996 | #5,991 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1995 | #8,585 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #7,482 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #6,948 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #5,935 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1991 | #4,173 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1990 | #5,767 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1989 | #4,473 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1988 | #6,574 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #5,019 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1986 | #4,156 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1985 | #4,598 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1984 | #6,173 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #5,073 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #3,992 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1981 | #7,229 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #7,241 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1979 | #5,657 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1978 | #4,032 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1977 | #4,858 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1976 | #4,531 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1975 | #3,900 | 17 | 0.0012% |
| 1974 | #4,391 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1972 | #4,724 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1971 | #4,258 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1970 | #3,681 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1969 | #3,578 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1968 | #5,515 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #6,597 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #7,550 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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.
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How the Name Rashel 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 desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Rashel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Rashel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.