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

Raphael, 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 Raphael surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raphael in America

Raphael is the 7614th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raphael surname appeared 4,366 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 Raphael.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raphael 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 Raphael

The surname Raphael originates from the Hebrew language and is derived from the word "Refael", meaning "God has healed". It is believed to have been adopted as a surname by Jewish families in the Middle Ages, primarily in Germany and surrounding regions.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Raphael can be traced back to the 13th century in various German city records and tax rolls. In some cases, the name was spelled as "Raphel" or "Raffael", reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Raphael was the Italian Renaissance artist and architect, Raffaello Santi (1483-1520), better known simply as Raphael. Although he did not use it as a surname, his given name contributed significantly to the popularity and recognition of the name across Europe.

Another prominent individual with the surname Raphael was Sir Herbert Raphael (1859-1924), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire from 1900 to 1918. He played a significant role in the campaign for Jewish emancipation in Britain.

In the realm of literature, the American author and playwright Frederic Raphael (born 1931) is known for his works such as "The Glittering Prizes" and "The Sokol Company". His surname has its roots in the Jewish tradition and reflects the widespread adoption of the name across various communities.

The surname Raphael also has a notable presence in the field of science. One example is the British mathematician and computer scientist Raphael M. Robinson (1911-1995), who made significant contributions to mathematical logic and decision problems.

Lastly, the Austrian-born American conductor and violinist Raphael Bronstein (1908-1990), who performed under the stage name Raphael Bronstein, is another notable figure associated with the surname Raphael. His name reflects the Jewish heritage of the name and its enduring presence across various cultures and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raphael

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

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 Raphael 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 Raphael 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 Raphael was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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