Rachel
Girl name · #250 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Rachel? In official American birth records, Rachel has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Rachel is currently the #250 girl name in the United States — 1,225 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #167, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,469 girls born in 2025 was named Rachel.
Babies named Rachel per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Rachel first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 166 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1985, when 16,360 girls were named Rachel — good for #13 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rachel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rachel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Rachel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Rachel is most common
Geography matters for names, and Rachel is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Rachel is most common in NY (4 per 1,000), NJ (3.8 per 1,000), ID (1.5 per 1,000), MD (1.3 per 1,000), PA (1.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.9 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Rachel is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Rachel
Statistically, parents drawn to Rachel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rebecca, Nicole, Joanna, Andrea, and Vanessa.
RebeccaNicoleJoannaAndreaVanessaAliciaLaurenSara
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rachel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,225 | #250 |
| 2024 | 1,292 | #246 |
| 2023 | 1,224 | #254 |
| 2022 | 1,263 | #240 |
| 2021 | 1,271 | #239 |
| 2020 | 1,305 | #226 |
| 2019 | 1,548 | #191 |
| 2018 | 1,558 | #198 |
| 2017 | 1,622 | #191 |
| 2016 | 1,884 | #171 |
| 2015 | 1,941 | #167 |
| 2014 | 2,090 | #155 |
| 2013 | 2,325 | #137 |
| 2012 | 2,420 | #130 |
| 2011 | 2,664 | #115 |
| 2010 | 3,024 | #99 |
| 2009 | 3,589 | #89 |
| 2008 | 4,087 | #74 |
| 2007 | 4,841 | #59 |
| 2006 | 5,551 | #48 |
| 2005 | 6,226 | #38 |
| 2004 | 6,923 | #34 |
| 2003 | 7,997 | #28 |
| 2002 | 8,944 | #24 |
| 2001 | 9,556 | #24 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Rachel?
In official American birth records, the name Rachel first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 166 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Rachel a popular girl name?
Rachel ranked #250 among girls in 2025 with 1,225 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #167.
When was the name Rachel most popular?
Rachel peaked in 1985, when 16,360 American girls received the name (ranked #13 that year). Since 1985 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Rachel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,469 newborn American girls was named Rachel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.