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The short answer
Rachel is a feminine Hebrew and Biblical name from רָחֵל (Raḥel), meaning "ewe". In the Old Testament, Rachel is the favourite wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Behind the Name notes the name rose steadily from the 1960s to highs in the 1980s and 90s, helped along by the character Rachel Green on the sitcom Friends. It is pronounced RAY-chəl. In the United States it ranked #250 for girls in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Rachel as "from the Hebrew name רָחֵל (Raḥel) meaning 'ewe'". In the Old Testament, Rachel is "the favourite wife of Jacob", tricked into a delayed marriage when her father Laban gave Jacob her older sister Leah first; Rachel later became "the mother of Joseph and Benjamin". Behind the Name notes the name "was common among Jews in the Middle Ages" but was not generally used as a Christian name in English until after the Protestant Reformation, and that it rose steadily from the 1960s to highs in the 1980s and 90s, a decline the entry says "the character Rachel Green on the American sitcom Friends (1994-2004) may have only helped delay".
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew | רָחֵל (Raḥel) | ewe |
Popularity
Rachel ranked #250 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Behind the Name's cached entry does not include a numeric ranking.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #250 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: Rae
Variants: Rachael, Racheal, Rachelle, Richelle, Rachyl, Raschelle
Related names: Leah, Rebecca, Raquel
What the name feels like
Rachel is a classic Biblical name that reads as timeless rather than dated, thanks to a long, steady history of English use since the Reformation rather than a single burst of trendiness. Its two clean syllables and soft ending give it broad, easy-to-wear appeal.
Style tags: Biblical, classic, two syllables
Editorial interpretation: These style impressions are editorial judgment, not linguistic fact.
If you like this name
Names that share Rachel's Biblical family or its classic American sound.
Similar by origin
Similar by sound
- Rachael
- Raquel
- Rachelle
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Rachel mean?
Rachel means "ewe" in Hebrew, from רָחֵל (Raḥel).
Is Rachel a popular name?
Rachel ranked #250 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data, after peaking higher in the 1980s and 90s.
Who was Rachel in the Bible?
Behind the Name identifies Rachel as the favourite wife of Jacob in the Old Testament and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Rachel — supports etymology, pronunciation, variants, history.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
