Rafael

How to say it

/ˌrɑ.fɑˈɛl/

What it means

Hebrew Rephaʾel, 'God has healed.' The archangel Raphael, the healer in Jewish and Christian angelology and the central figure of the book of Tobit.

Rafael (also spelled Raphael) comes from the Hebrew Rephaʾel ('God has healed'). The archangel Raphael is one of the three archangels named in the Christian canon (with Michael and Gabriel); his story appears in the deuterocanonical book of Tobit, where he travels with Tobias to recover a debt and heal Tobit's blindness. Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, 1483-1520) was one of the three masters of the High Renaissance alongside Leonardo and Michelangelo. The Italian and Spanish Rafael is widely used in Spanish-speaking communities; tennis player Rafael Nadal (born 1986, Spain) is the modern English-language anchor. Common short: Rafa.

Heads-up notes

• Spelling

  Rafael (the Spanish/Portuguese spelling) and Raphael (the English/French/Italian spelling) are the same name. Rafael Nadal uses the Spanish form.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Archangel Raphael Biblical healer, central figure of the book of Tobit
• Raphael (artist) Italian High Renaissance painter and architect, 1483-1520
• Rafael Nadal Spanish tennis player, 22 Grand Slam titles

Spelling variants

• Raphael
• Raffaello

Names with the same feeling

• Gabriel God is my strength
• Michael Who is like God?
• Adrian From Hadria
• Leonardo Brave lion
• Mateo Gift of God

See Rafael from another angle