US Name Trends

Rachael

English respelling of Rachel, Hebrew for “ewe”; Jacob’s beloved wife in Genesis.

1990peak year
No. 98best rank (1987)
82,650babies since 1880
outside top 1000 in 2025

Popularity, 1880–2025

Babies named Rachael per year — peak 3,028▬ girls ▬ boys18801900192019401960198020002020

Rachael appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in 3 different years between 1985 and 1988. Its biggest year was 1990, when 3,028 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 111 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1987, at No. 98. All told, 82,650 Americans have been given the name since 1880.

Related names

Other spellings on record: Racheal (10,520) (total births since 1880)

Other names that share a story: Jacob, Rachel, Genesis

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By the decade

DecadeBirthsBest rank
1880s113No. 492
1890s185No. 596
1900s254No. 509
1910s932No. 517
1920s962No. 603
1930s522No. 894
1940s726No. 868
1950s1,249No. 740
1960s3,048No. 333
1970s12,724No. 151
1980s25,670No. 98
1990s24,515No. 111
2000s9,144No. 228
2010s2,139No. 698
2020s286No. 2597

Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.

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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.