Raffaele
One with divine counsel or protected by God.
Name Census estimates that about 883 living Americans carry the first name Raffaele. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Raffaele today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Raffaele births was 1969 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Raffaele. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
883
~ 1 in 388,170 Americans
Peak year
1969
24 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,378
Tracked since 1908
Popularity
Raffaele: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Raffaele from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 192 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Raffaele remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Raffaele by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Raffaele during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Raffaeles live
Origin
Meaning and history of Raffaele
Raffaele is a masculine given name of Italian origin, derived from the Hebrew name Raphael, meaning "God has healed" or "God's medicine." The name traces its roots back to the biblical Archangel Raphael, one of the seven archangels mentioned in the Book of Tobit from the Bible.
In ancient times, the name Raphael was widespread in Jewish communities, and it later gained popularity among Christians as well. The Italian form, Raffaele, emerged during the Middle Ages and became particularly popular in regions like Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raffaele can be found in the works of the renowned Italian poet and philosopher, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). In his epic poem, the Divine Comedy, Dante mentions the Archangel Raphael, using the Italian form of the name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Raffaele. One of the most famous is the Italian Renaissance artist Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520), better known as Raphael. He was a highly influential painter and architect, celebrated for his masterpieces such as "The School of Athens" and "The Sistine Madonna."
Another renowned Raffaele was the Italian composer Raffaele Calace (1863-1944), who contributed significantly to the Neapolitan song tradition. His compositions, including "Reginella" and "Nun te scurdà," have become beloved classics in the Italian folk music repertoire.
In the realm of literature, Raffaele Garofalo (1851-1934) was an Italian criminologist and jurist who made significant contributions to the field of criminology. He is known for developing the concept of "criminal anthropology" and studying the causes of criminal behavior.
The name Raffaele has also been associated with religious figures, such as Raffaele Acciavatti (1701-1779), an Italian Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Montalto from 1760 until his death.
Lastly, Raffaele Cadorna (1815-1897) was an Italian military officer who played a crucial role in the Italian unification movement. He served as the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army during the Wars of Italian Independence and the Expedition of the Thousand led by Giuseppe Garibaldi.
People
Raffaele + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Raffaele as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Raffaele: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Raffaele?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 883 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Raffaele going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 388,170 US residents.
Is Raffaele a common name?
We classify Raffaele as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,058 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Raffaele most popular?
The single biggest year for Raffaele was 1969, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Raffaele is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Raffaele a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Raffaele in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.