Rachel

Rachel is the feminine form of the name Rahel and is used in both English and French. The name has its origin in Hebrew and translates to 'the mother sheep' in German.

What does the name Rachel mean?

The first name Rachel is a variant of Rahel and derives from the ancient Hebrew term rāḥēl (רָחֵל), which means 'the mother sheep.' In the Bible, Rachel plays a significant role as a matriarch; she is the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, as well as the wife of Jacob and daughter of Laban. Joseph, known as the dreamer, is mentioned in Genesis 29. The French and Spanish equivalent of the name is Raquel, while there are numerous spellings such as Rahela, Rahella, Rachela, Rachele, Rachelle, Raquelle, Rakel, and many more.

Where does the name Rachel come from?

The name Rachel has its roots in ancient Hebrew and means 'the mother sheep.' Its linguistic origin is ancient Hebrew, with the word form rāḥēl (רָחֵל). The languages in which the name appears are English and French.

How do you pronounce Rachel?

The pronunciation of Rachel is two syllables and phonetically distinct. In German, the name is usually pronounced as 'Ra-chel' [ˈʁaːxəl], while the English variant sounds like [ˈɹeɪtʃəl]. The name begins with an open A or diphthong sound, and the middle consonant combination gives it a characteristic tension. The ending '-el' sounds soft and harmonious. Rachel radiates both classic and international appeal – expressive, grounded, and timeless.

When is the name day of Rachel?

The name day for Rachel is celebrated on July 11.

Popularity

In Germany, the name Rachel enjoys great popularity and currently ranks 960th on the list of the most common female first names. Its best placement was in 1975, reaching 139th place. In the last ten years, Rachel has been chosen as a first name about 500 times, placing it 846th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 755th.

Nicknames & pet names

Chel / Kachel / Rach / Rache / Rachelie / Rachey / Rachi / Rachie / Rachielein / Rachy / Raclette / RaRa / Ray / Ray ray / Rayray / Retsch / Rochel

Similar first names

Famous people

• Kinvara Clare Rachel Balfour (British writer)
• Rachel Amber (character from the game 'Life is Strange')
• Rachel Ashley (* 1964), former porn actress
• Rachel Bancouly (* 1983), Ivorian football player
• Rachel Berry (character from 'Glee')
• Rachel Bilson (US actress)
• Rachel Black (character from the Twilight Saga)
• Rachel Blau Duplessis (writer from the USA)
• Rachel Brown (composer)
• Rachel Caine (American writer, real name Roxanne Longstreet Conrad)
• Rachel Covey (American actress)
• Rachel Creed (character from 'Pet Sematary' (film))
• Rachel Duncan (character from 'Orphan Black')
• Rachel Elizabeth Dare (character from the 'Percy Jackson' book series)
• Rachel Emily Nichols (American actress)
• Rachel Fuller (British composer)
• Rachel Gardner (main character from the anime 'Angels of Death')
• Rachel Gatina (character from the series 'One Tree Hill')
• Rachel Green (character from 'Friends')
• Rachel Hartman (author)