Raquel
Meaning of Raquel
Raquel (rah-KEL) is the spirited Spanish twist on Rachel, the beloved Hebrew classic meaning “ewe,” long a symbol of gentleness and quiet resilience. The name swept into Anglo-American ears on a warm Mediterranean breeze, then rocketed up U.S. charts in the swinging ’60s—helped, no doubt, by silver-screen siren Raquel Welch, whose glamour gave the name a sun-kissed sparkle. Today Raquel sits just outside the Top 700, a sweet spot that keeps her familiar yet refreshingly uncommon, like a hidden gem in a well-loved storybook. She offers parents an effortless bilingual sound, an easy two-syllable rhythm, and a built-in sense of confidence—think soft wool with steel underneath. Raquel fits a baby who might one day paint murals, argue cases, or climb red-rock canyons; she carries history, Hollywood sheen, and a whisper of adventure in five bright letters.
Pronunciation
Spanish
- Pronunced as rah-KEL (/raˈkel/)
English
- Pronunced as rah-KEL (/rɑˈkɛl/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Raquel
| Raquel Welch was an American actress who became an international sex symbol after her iconic bikini role in One Million Years B.C. and went on to star in films like Bedazzled and The Three Musketeers. |
| Raquel Willis is an African American writer and transgender rights activist who once led Out magazine as executive editor and shared her story in the 2023 memoir The Risk It Takes To Bloom. |
| Raquel Rabinovich was an Argentine American artist celebrated for her monochromatic paintings, glass sculpture environments and installations along the Hudson River. |
| Raquel Cepeda is a Dominican American journalist, filmmaker and author known for editing OneWorld magazine, directing the documentary Bling: A Planet Rock and writing the memoir Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina. |
| Raquel Fernández is a New York University economics professor and a fellow of the Econometric Society. |
| Raquel Acinas Poncelas is a Spanish Paralympic cyclist who raced for Spain in 2008 and 2012. |
| Raquel Zimmermann is a Brazilian supermodel who has walked for Chanel and Dior and appeared on the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar since the late 1990s. |
| Raquel Castro is an American actress and singer who won a Young Artist Award for playing Gertie in the 2004 film Jersey Girl and later competed on The Voice. |
| Raquel Maria was a Portuguese actress who worked in theater, television and film. |
| Raquel Trindade was a Brazilian artist, writer and folklorist who carried on the cultural legacy of her father Solano Trindade. |
| Raquel Urtasun is a Spanish-Canadian computer scientist and University of Toronto professor who founded Waabi to build AI-powered self-driving technology. |
| Raquel Dodge is a Brazilian lawyer who served as Prosecutor General of Brazil from 2017 to 2019. |
| Raquel del Rosario is a Spanish singer best known as the lead vocalist of El Sueño de Morfeo. |
| Raquel Argandoña is a Chilean actress, TV host and former Miss Universo Chile best known for playing La Quintrala in the 1986 miniseries. |
