Rafael (given name)

Last updated September 27, 2025

Rafael is a masculine given name. It is a Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Raphael.^[1]^[2] It translates to "God has healed" and "God heals" in Hebrew.^[2] Notable people with the name include:

People

Arts and entertainment

Rafael Araneda (born 1969), Chilean television personality
Rafael Bittencourt (fl. 1991), Brazilian power metal composer and songwriter
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (1933–2014), Spanish conductor and composer
Rafael Kayanan (born 1962), Filipino-American artist
Rafaël Ouellet, Canadian film director
Rafael L. Silva (born 1994), Brazilian-American actor

Politics

Rafael Correa (born 1963), former president of Ecuador
Rafael Edward Cruz (born 1970), more commonly known as Ted Cruz, American politician
Rafael Eitan (1929–2004), Israeli general, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, and politician
Rafael Macias, American politician
Rafael Trujillo (1891–1961), former Dominican president

Sports

Association football

Brazilian

Rafael Cabral (born 1990)
Rafael Vágner Dias Silva (born 1983)
Rafael Godoi Pereira (born 1985)
Rafael Nascimento (born 1984)
Rafael Pereira da Silva (footballer born 1980)
Rafael Pereira da Silva (footballer born 1990)
Rafael Pires Vieira (born 1978)
Rafael Schmitz (born 1980)
Rafael Sóbis (born 1985)
Rafael Tolói (born 1990)

Mexican

Rafael Baca (born 1989)
Rafael Cuevas (born 1980), goalkeeper
Rafael Figueroa (born 1983)
Rafael Guerrero (born 2003)
Rafael Márquez (born 1979), coach and former player
Rafael Medina (born 1979)

Portuguese

Rafael Barbosa (footballer, born 1996)
Rafaël Dias (born 1991)
Rafael Floro (born 1994)
Rafael Leão (born 1999)
Rafael Lopes (born 1991)
Rafael Ramos (footballer) (born 1995)
Rafael Veloso (born 1993), goalkeeper

Spanish

Rafael Alkorta (born 1968)
Rafael Benítez (born 1960), football manager and former player
Rafael Gordillo (born 1957)
Rafael Oramas (1904–1968)
Rafael Wellington (born 1985)

Other nationalities

Rafael Bianchi (born 1971), Uruguayan footballer
Rafael Dudamel (born 1973), Venezuelan football manager and former goalkeeper
Rafael Farfán (born 1975), Peruvian footballer
Rafael Guarderas (born 1993), Peruvian footballer
Rafael Haller (born 2000), Uruguayan footballer
Rafael Kazior (born 1983), German footballer
Rafael Mea Vitali (born 1975), Venezuelan footballer
Rafael Monti (born 1999), Argentine footballer
Rafael Robayo (born 1984), Colombian footballer
Rafael Santos Borré (born 1995), Colombian footballer
Rafael Struick (born 2003), Indonesian footballer
Rafael Uiterloo (born 1990), Dutch footballer
Rafael Urazbakhtin (born 1978), Kazakhstani football manager and former player
Rafael van der Vaart (born 1983), Dutch footballer
Rafael Zuviría (born 1951), Argentine footballer

Baseball

Rafael Álvarez (baseball) (born 1977), Venezuelan baseball player
Rafael Devers (born 1996), Dominican baseball player
Rafael Dolis (born 1988), Dominican baseball player
Rafael Figarola (1882–?), Cuban baseball player
Rafael Furcal (born 1977), Dominican baseball player
Rafael Montalvo (baseball) (born 1964), Puerto Rican baseball player
Rafael Montero (baseball) (born 1990), Dominican baseball player
Rafael Ortega (baseball) (born 1991), Venezuelan baseball player
Rafael Palmeiro (born 1964), Cuban-American Major League Baseball player
Rafael Pérez (baseball) (born 1982), Dominican baseball player
Rafael Santana (born 1958), Dominican baseball player
Rafael Soriano (born 1979), Dominican baseball player
Rafael Ynoa (born 1987), Dominican baseball player

Boxing and martial arts

Rafael Alves (fighter) (born 1990), Brazilian mixed martial artist
Rafael dos Anjos (born 1984), Brazilian mixed martial artist
Rafael Carbonell (born 1943), Cuban flyweight boxer
Rafael Carvalho (born 1986), Brazilian mixed martial artist
Rafael Cavalcante (born 1980), Brazilian mixed martial artist
Rafael Cordeiro (born 1973), Brazilian mixed martial artist and coach
Rafael Fiziev (born 1993), Azerbaijani mixed martial artist
Rafael Guzmán (1986–2011), Mexican boxer
Rafael Herrera (born 1945), Mexican boxer
Rafael Iglesias (boxer) (1924–1999), Argentine boxer
Rafael Lovera (1952–2023), Paraguayan boxer
Rafael Natal (born 1982), Brazilian mixed martial artist
Rafael Ramos (boxer) (born 1965), Puerto Rican boxer
Rafael Rebello (born 1980), Brazilian mixed martial artist
Rafael Ruelas (born 1979), Mexican boxer
Rafael Silva (fighter) (born 1985), Brazilian mixed martial artist
Rafael Silva (judoka) (born 1987), Brazilian judoka
Rafael Zuñiga (born 1963), Colombian boxer

Car racing

Rafael Câmara (born 2005), Brazilian racing driver
Rafael Daniel (born 1983), Brazilian racing driver
Rafael Sperafico (1981–2007), Brazilian racing driver
Rafael Suzuki (born 1987), Brazilian racing driver
Rafael Villagómez (born 2001), Mexican racing driver

Cycling

Rafael Andriato (born 1987), Brazilian road cyclist
Rafael Montero (cyclist) (1913–1962), Chilean cylcist
Rafael Montiel (born 1981), Colombian road cyclist
Rafael Silva (cyclist) (born 1990), Portuguese cyclist

Other sports

Rafael Alarçón (born 1977), Brazilian squash player
Rafael Alarcón (golfer) (born 1958), Mexican golfer
Rafael Álvarez (diver) (born 1971), Spanish diver
Rafael Araujo-Lopes (born 1996), American gridiron football player
Rafael Arévalo (born 1986), Salvadoran tennis player
Rafael Cerro (born 1997), Colombian weightlifter
Rafael Cerro (bullfighter) (born 1993), Spanish bullfighter
Rafael Duk (born 1962/63), Mexican gridiron football player and coach
Rafael Hechanova (1928–2021), Filipino basketball player
Rafael López (handballer) (born 1953), Spanish handballer
Rafael Nadal (born 1986), Spanish tennis player
Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno (born 1957), Filipino bowler
Rafael Pascual (volleyball) (born 1970), Spanish volleyball player
Rafael Romero (1938–2021), Venezuelan sprinter
Rafael Usín Guisado (born 1987), Spanish futsal player

Saints

Rafael Arnáiz Barón (1911–1938), Spanish saint
Rafael Guízar y Valencia (1878–1938), Mexican Roman Catholic bishop and saint

Other fields

Rafael Caro Quintero (born 1952), Mexican former drug lord
Rafael C. Castillo (fl. 1971), Mexican-American editor, author, and academician
Rafael Spósito Balzarini (1952–2009), Uruguayan anarchist, sociologist, and journalist

Fictional characters

Rafael Barba, (Raúl Esparza) appearing on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Rafael Solano, (Justin Baldoni), a principal character on Jane the Virgin
Rafael, a toucan character in the animated film Rio, played by George Lopez
Dr. Rafael Salazar, the late Argentinian father of the titular character of the 2010-2013 Cartoon Network show Generator Rex.

References

↑ "Rafael - Baby Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity". www.thebump.com. Archived from the original on 2025-05-18. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
1 2 "Rafael - Baby name meaning, origin, and popularity". BabyCenter. Retrieved 2025-08-15.

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[1] "Rafael - Baby Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity". www.thebump.com. Archived from the original on 2025-05-18. Retrieved 2025-08-15.

[:0-2] 1 2 "Rafael - Baby name meaning, origin, and popularity". BabyCenter. Retrieved 2025-08-15.

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