Rael is a short form of Israel, the name God gives to Jacob in the Book of Genesis, usually explained as "he struggles with God" or "God contends"; it can also be clipped from Rafael, "God heals", and in Portuguese and Spanish both readings are common. In the United States Rael is used mostly by Hispanic and Jewish families: it stood at number 11722 in 2000, reached its best rank of number 2337 in 2024 and is number 2529 among boys' names in 2025.