Rachel

See also: Ráchel and Rachêl

English

Alternative forms

• Rachael, Rachelle, Rach

Etymology

From Late Latin Rachel, from Ancient Greek Ῥαχήλ (Rhakhḗl), from Biblical Hebrew רָחֵל‎ (rāḥēl, “ewe”). Doublet of Raquel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹeɪt͡ʃəl/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪtʃəl
• Hyphenation: Ra‧chel

Proper noun

Rachel

1. Younger daughter of Laban, sister to Leah, and second wife of Jacob.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Genesis 29:16–18:

     And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

2. A female given name from Hebrew.
   • 1849 The Massachusetts Teacher, Massachusetts Teachers' Association, Vol. 2,page 26, January 1849:

     Rachel is another modest, nun-like name, of the same order as Judith, and has the appropriate signification of a lamb.

   • 1979 Doris Lessing, Shikasta, Knopf, 1979, →ISBN, page 293

     She keeps saying, You are mistaken Rachel. She says my name in that heavy earnest way. The Jewish Ra-chel. I like my name like that. I have always been pleased when people said Ra-chel. But when she says it, it is as if she was taking me over. Through my name.

   • 2010 Rob Sachs, What Would Rob Do?, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:

     I recognize that a name like Rachel goes against my whole "ordering a different dish from everyone else at the table" rule, but sometimes you really want a steak, and that's exactly what you should get. I love the name we gave our daughter. It's not dorky, not too whimsical, and not too stuck-up. To us it sounded sweet, sporty, smart, and beautiful. It also works well with Sachs.

3. A census-designated place in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States; named for the first baby born in the town.
4. A census-designated place in West Virginia, United States; named for the daughter of a local mine owner.

Translations

younger daughter of Laban

• Afrikaans: Ragel
• Arabic: رَاحِيل‎ f (rāḥīl)
• Aramaic: ܪܳܚܶܝܠ‎ (raHeyl)
• Armenian: Ռաքել (Ṙakʿel)

  Old Armenian: Ռաքէլ (Ṙakʿēl), Հռաքէլ (Hṙakʿēl)

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 拉結, 拉结 (Lājiē), 辣黑耳 (Làhēi'ěr)

• Danish: Rakel (da)
• Dutch: Rachel (nl)
• Esperanto: Raĥel
• Estonian: Raahel
• Finnish: Raakel (fi)
• French: Rachel (fr)
• German: Rachel (de), Rahel
• Hausa: Rahila
• Hawaiian: Rāhela

• Hebrew: רָחֵל‎ (he) f (rāḥēl)
• Hungarian: Ráchel (hu)
• Icelandic: Rakel (is)
• Italian: Rachele (it)
• Japanese: ラケル (Rakeru)
• Kazakh: Рахила (Raxïla)
• Korean: 라헬 (rahel)
• Lithuanian: Rachelė f
• Maore Comorian: Rahilu
• Maori: Rāhera
• Norwegian: Rakel (no)
• Polish: Rachela (pl)
• Portuguese: Raquel (pt)
• Russian: Рахи́ль f (Raxílʹ)
• Spanish: Raquel (es)
• Swedish: Rakel (sv)
• Yiddish: רחל‎ f (Rokhl)

female given name

• Danish: Rakel (da)
• Estonian: Raili
• Galician: Raquel (gl) f
• Greenlandic: Alaakkilli
• Hausa: Rahila
• Hawaiian: Lāhela
• Hungarian: Ráchel (hu)

• Icelandic: Rakel (is)
• Maori: Rāhera
• Norman: Râché f
• Portuguese: Raquel (pt)
• Russian: Рэ́йчел f (Rɛ́jčel)
• Yiddish: רחל‎ f (rokhl)

Anagrams

• Lacher

---

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Rachel, via Late Latin, from Ancient Greek Ῥαχήλ (Rhakhḗl), from Hebrew רָחֵל‎ (“ewe”).

Proper noun

Rachel

1. a female given name from Hebrew

---

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁa.ʃɛl/

Proper noun

Rachel f

1. Rachel (biblical figure)
2. A female given name.

Anagrams

• lâcher

---

German

Alternative forms

• Rahel

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʁaxl̩/

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Rachel f (genitive Rachels)

1. Rachel (biblical figure)
2. A female given name