Rafal

♂ Boy

Pronounced RAH-fahl /ˈrɑːfɑːl/Low

Meaning: Rafal is the Polish form of Raphael, from the Hebrew Rephael, 'God has healed.' In Polish it is written Rafal with a slashed l sounded like a 'w'; here it appears in plain letters. The meaning is the biblical one carried by the archangel Raphael.Medium

In 30 seconds: Rafal is the Polish form of Raphael, from Hebrew for 'God has healed.' It reached U.S. records with Polish families and peaked in the nineteen-nineties (said RAH-fahl).

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Origin MediumPolish, Hebrew

MeaningRafal is the Polish form of Raphael, from the Hebrew Rephael, 'God has healed.' In Polish it is written Rafal with a slashed l sounded like a 'w'; here it appears in plain letters. The meaning is the biblical one carried by the archangel Raphael.

U.S. rank (2009)#12131 ↗ Rising

2009 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1997

Total births (all-time)≈ 194

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Rafal is the Polish form of Raphael, from the Hebrew Rephael, 'God has healed,' the name of the archangel of healing. It appears in American records mostly in the late twentieth century, following Polish immigration, and its meaning is the established biblical one.

It was always rare as a given name for boys in the United States, reaching only about sixteen a year at its peak in the nineteen-nineties. A boy named Rafal then would be in his twenties or thirties today.

Did you know? In Poland Rafal is a familiar given name honoring the archangel Raphael, the healer; the final Polish l is pronounced like an English 'w,' closer to RAH-fow in its home country.

Overall data confidence 55%

References - Rafal — Polish form of Raphael (Hebrew 'God has healed'); plain-Latin rendering

Variations

RaphaelRafaelRafail

Nicknames

RafaRaf

Famous Bearers

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If you like Rafal…

Raphael— the name Rafal is the Polish form of

Rafael— a like Spanish form of the same root

Michal— a similar Polish boy's given name

Tomasz— a like Polish classic boy's name

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By themeheritage classic biblical polish

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Rafal mean?

It is the Polish form of Raphael, from the Hebrew for 'God has healed.'

How do you pronounce Rafal?

In English it is said RAH-fahl /ˈrɑːfɑːl/; in Polish the final l sounds like a 'w,' closer to RAH-fow.

Is Rafal a boy or girl name?

Rafal is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Rafal?

It was always rare in the United States, reaching only about sixteen boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-nineties.