Rafael is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Raphael, the Hebrew name of the archangel of healing, and means "God heals" or "God has healed". The Renaissance painter Raphael and tennis champion Rafael Nadal are its most famous bearers. Rafael has been one of the most reliable names in the United States, ranking number 230 in 2000 and 294 in 2015; it has climbed gently since to number 218 in 2025, just one place short of its best rank of 217 in 2006.