Find out how popular the last name Rachel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rachel.

Rachel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rachel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rachel in America

Rachel is the 12837th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rachel surname appeared 2,398 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rachel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rachel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rachel

Rachel is a surname of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical name "Rachel" meaning "ewe" or "female sheep". It is believed to have originated as a surname among Jewish communities in the Middle East and Europe during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded use of Rachel as a surname dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in various records and manuscripts from England and Germany. One notable mention is in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, which lists a "Robertus Rachel" as a landowner.

In the 14th century, the surname Rachel can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, England, where a "Johannes Rachel" is listed as a taxpayer in 1332. During this period, the name was also present in parts of France, particularly in the region of Alsace, where it was often spelled as "Rahel" or "Raehel".

The Rachel surname has a strong association with Jewish communities throughout history. In the 16th century, the name appears in records of Jewish families residing in various parts of Europe, including Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands. One notable individual was Rabbi Shlomo Rachel (1510-1585), a renowned scholar and author from Krakow, Poland.

In the 17th century, the name can be found in the records of Jewish communities in England, particularly in London. One notable example is Elias Rachel (c. 1650-1720), a prominent merchant and philanthropist who was involved in the establishment of the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London.

As Jewish communities spread further across Europe and later to the Americas, the Rachel surname traveled with them. In the 18th century, there are records of individuals with the surname in places like Amsterdam, where a merchant named Jacob Rachel (1720-1795) established a successful trading business.

Other notable individuals with the Rachel surname include Sir Solomon Rachel (1818-1901), a British banker and philanthropist who was knighted for his contributions to the Jewish community in London, and Joseph Rachel (1839-1917), a American rabbi and author who served as the first president of the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Throughout its history, the Rachel surname has maintained its connections to the Jewish faith and culture, while also being adopted by non-Jewish families in various parts of the world. Its origins can be traced back to the biblical name, reflecting its deep-rooted significance in Jewish tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rachel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rachel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rachel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rachel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rachel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rachel, please contact us.

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