Rafaella
Girl name · #4406 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Rafaella? In official American birth records, Rafaella has been tracked continuously since 1986, giving it 39 years of documented American history.
Rafaella ranks #4406 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 32 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #4981, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 56,250 girls born in 2025 was named Rafaella.
The 39-year story
Rafaella first appears in the Social Security records in 1986, when 8 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 49 babies and a rank of #3278. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Babies named Rafaella per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rafaella against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rafaella in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Rafaella is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Rafaella will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Rafaella is most common
State-level data for Rafaella is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Rafaella
Statistically, parents drawn to Rafaella tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rosabella, Giabella, Tehilla, Sabella, and Adriella.
RosabellaGiabellaTehillaSabellaAdriellaAzriellaGianellaMirabella
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rafaella | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | #4352 |
| 2024 | 37 | #3963 |
| 2023 | 43 | #3585 |
| 2022 | 49 | #3278 |
| 2021 | 32 | #4326 |
| 2020 | 34 | #4078 |
| 2019 | 34 | #4162 |
| 2018 | 35 | #4076 |
| 2017 | 34 | #4220 |
| 2016 | 40 | #3777 |
| 2015 | 27 | #4981 |
| 2014 | 29 | #4768 |
| 2013 | 22 | #5834 |
| 2012 | 32 | #4486 |
| 2011 | 32 | #4466 |
| 2010 | 30 | #4735 |
| 2009 | 22 | #6091 |
| 2008 | 18 | #7073 |
| 2007 | 30 | #4808 |
| 2006 | 17 | #7142 |
| 2005 | 21 | #5800 |
| 2004 | 11 | #9264 |
| 2003 | 14 | #7580 |
| 2002 | 17 | #6392 |
| 2001 | 14 | #7317 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Rafaella?
In official American birth records, the name Rafaella first appeared in 1986 (over 39 years ago), when 8 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 39 years.
Is Rafaella a popular girl name?
Rafaella ranked #4406 among girls in 2025 with 32 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4981.
When was the name Rafaella most popular?
Rafaella peaked in 2022, when 49 American girls received the name (ranked #3278 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Rafaella?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 56,250 newborn American girls was named Rafaella. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.