Rafaela

Meaning of Rafaela

Rafaela, a feminine appellation with origins in the Hebrew name רָפָאֵל (Rāphāʾēl), literally meaning “God has healed,” entered Iberian onomastic traditions via Latin ecclesiastical usage and subsequently established itself across Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking regions. Historically associated with the archangel Raphael in Judeo-Christian scripture, the name conveys notions of therapeutic intervention and divine guardianship. Phonologically, it is rendered as /rafaˈela/ in Castilian Spanish and as /ʁafaˈɛla/ in European Portuguese, while its morphological composition—marked by the suffix –ela—reflects a common pattern of feminine derivation within Romance-language naming systems. In the United States, Rafaela has maintained a modest yet steady presence, ranking between 889th and 912th among female given names from 2018 through 2024 and averaging 45–55 annual occurrences, statistics that underscore its enduring resonance both within Hispanic communities and the broader Anglo-American milieu.