Rafael

See also: Rafaèl

English

Etymology

Compare Spanish Rafael, Portuguese Rafael.

Proper noun

Rafael (plural Rafaels)

1. A male given name, variant of Raphael.
   • 2025 June 29, Laura Sharman and Sophie Tanno, “UN nuclear watchdog chief says Iran could again begin enriching uranium in ‘matter of months’”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     “As Rafael Grossi said just days ago, the difference between Iran’s nuclear program before and after Operation Midnight Hammer is ‘night and day,’ and a ‘very serious level of damage’ was done,” the official said.

Related terms

• San Rafael Cedros
• San Rafael Obrajuelo
• San Rafael Oriente

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew רָפָאֵל (Rāfāʾēl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [rə.fəˈɛl]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ra.faˈɛl]
• Rhymes: -ɛl

Proper noun

Rafael m

1. (biblical) Raphael
2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Raphael

Faroese

Etymology

From Hebrew רָפָאֵל (Rāfāʾēl).

Proper noun

Rafael m

1. a male given name

Usage notes

Patronymics

• Rafael's son: Rafaelsson
• Rafael's daughter: Rafaelsdóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Rafael
accusative	Rafael
dative	Rafaeli
genitive	Rafaels

Finnish

Etymology

From Biblical Hebrew רָפָאֵל (Rāfāʾēl, literally “God has cured/healed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɑfɑel/, [ˈrɑ̝fɑ̝e̞l]
• Rhymes: -ɑfɑel
• Syllabification^(key): Ra‧fa‧el
• Hyphenation^(key): Ra‧fa‧el

Proper noun

Rafael

1. Raphael (biblical character)
2. a male given name

Declension

Inflection of Rafael (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		Rafael	Rafaelit
genitive		Rafaelin	Rafaelien
partitive		Rafaelia	Rafaeleja
illative		Rafaeliin	Rafaeleihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Rafael	Rafaelit
accusative	nom.	Rafael	Rafaelit
	gen.	Rafaelin
genitive		Rafaelin	Rafaelien
partitive		Rafaelia	Rafaeleja
inessive		Rafaelissa	Rafaeleissa
elative		Rafaelista	Rafaeleista
illative		Rafaeliin	Rafaeleihin
adessive		Rafaelilla	Rafaeleilla
ablative		Rafaelilta	Rafaeleilta
allative		Rafaelille	Rafaeleille
essive		Rafaelina	Rafaeleina
translative		Rafaeliksi	Rafaeleiksi
abessive		Rafaelitta	Rafaeleitta
instructive		—	Rafaelein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Rafael (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Rafaelini Rafaelini accusative nom. Rafaelini Rafaelini gen. Rafaelini genitive Rafaelini Rafaelieni partitive Rafaeliani Rafaelejani inessive Rafaelissani Rafaeleissani elative Rafaelistani Rafaeleistani illative Rafaeliini Rafaeleihini adessive Rafaelillani Rafaeleillani ablative Rafaeliltani Rafaeleiltani allative Rafaelilleni Rafaeleilleni essive Rafaelinani Rafaeleinani translative Rafaelikseni Rafaeleikseni abessive Rafaelittani Rafaeleittani instructive — — comitative — Rafaeleineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Rafaelisi Rafaelisi accusative nom. Rafaelisi Rafaelisi gen. Rafaelisi genitive Rafaelisi Rafaeliesi partitive Rafaeliasi Rafaelejasi inessive Rafaelissasi Rafaeleissasi elative Rafaelistasi Rafaeleistasi illative Rafaeliisi Rafaeleihisi adessive Rafaelillasi Rafaeleillasi ablative Rafaeliltasi Rafaeleiltasi allative Rafaelillesi Rafaeleillesi essive Rafaelinasi Rafaeleinasi translative Rafaeliksesi Rafaeleiksesi abessive Rafaelittasi Rafaeleittasi instructive — — comitative — Rafaeleinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Rafaelimme Rafaelimme accusative nom. Rafaelimme Rafaelimme gen. Rafaelimme genitive Rafaelimme Rafaeliemme partitive Rafaeliamme Rafaelejamme inessive Rafaelissamme Rafaeleissamme elative Rafaelistamme Rafaeleistamme illative Rafaeliimme Rafaeleihimme adessive Rafaelillamme Rafaeleillamme ablative Rafaeliltamme Rafaeleiltamme allative Rafaelillemme Rafaeleillemme essive Rafaelinamme Rafaeleinamme translative Rafaeliksemme Rafaeleiksemme abessive Rafaelittamme Rafaeleittamme instructive — — comitative — Rafaeleinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Rafaelinne Rafaelinne accusative nom. Rafaelinne Rafaelinne gen. Rafaelinne genitive Rafaelinne Rafaelienne partitive Rafaelianne Rafaelejanne inessive Rafaelissanne Rafaeleissanne elative Rafaelistanne Rafaeleistanne illative Rafaeliinne Rafaeleihinne adessive Rafaelillanne Rafaeleillanne ablative Rafaeliltanne Rafaeleiltanne allative Rafaelillenne Rafaeleillenne essive Rafaelinanne Rafaeleinanne translative Rafaeliksenne Rafaeleiksenne abessive Rafaelittanne Rafaeleittanne instructive — — comitative — Rafaeleinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Rafaelinsa Rafaelinsa accusative nom. Rafaelinsa Rafaelinsa gen. Rafaelinsa genitive Rafaelinsa Rafaeliensa partitive Rafaeliaan Rafaeliansa Rafaelejaan Rafaelejansa inessive Rafaelissaan Rafaelissansa Rafaeleissaan Rafaeleissansa elative Rafaelistaan Rafaelistansa Rafaeleistaan Rafaeleistansa illative Rafaeliinsa Rafaeleihinsa adessive Rafaelillaan Rafaelillansa Rafaeleillaan Rafaeleillansa ablative Rafaeliltaan Rafaeliltansa Rafaeleiltaan Rafaeleiltansa allative Rafaelilleen Rafaelillensa Rafaeleilleen Rafaeleillensa essive Rafaelinaan Rafaelinansa Rafaeleinaan Rafaeleinansa translative Rafaelikseen Rafaeliksensa Rafaeleikseen Rafaeleiksensa abessive Rafaelittaan Rafaelittansa Rafaeleittaan Rafaeleittansa instructive — — comitative — Rafaeleineen Rafaeleinensa

Statistics

• Rafael is the 363^rd most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 918 male individuals (and as a middle name to 4,998 more, making it much more common as a middle name), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

German

Proper noun

Rafael m (proper noun, strong, genitive Rafaels or Rafael)

1. a male given name, a less common variant of Raphael

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew רָפָאֵל (Rāfāʾēl, literally “God cures/has healed”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /raˈfaɛl/ [raˈfa.ɛl]
• Rhymes: -aɛl
• Syllabification: Ra‧fa‧el

Proper noun

Rafael

1. (Christianity) Raphael (An archangel in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.)

Further reading

• “Rafael”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Portuguese

Etymology

From Hebrew רָפָאֵל (Rāfāʾēl).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁa.faˈɛw/ [ha.faˈɛʊ̯]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁa.faˈɛw/ [ha.faˈɛʊ̯]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ʁa.faˈɛw/ [χa.faˈɛʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɐ.fɐˈɛl/ [ʁɐ.fɐˈɛɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɐ.fɐˈɛl/ [ʁɐ.fɐˈɛɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɐ.fɐˈɛ.li/

• Hyphenation: Ra‧fa‧el

Proper noun

Rafael m (plural Rafaéis, feminine Rafaela, feminine plural Rafaelas)

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Raphael
2. (biblical) Raphael (an archangel)

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rafael/, [ˈrafael]
• Rhymes: -ael
• Hyphenation: Ra‧fa‧el

Proper noun

Rafael m pers (female equivalent Rafaelová)

1. a male surname

Further reading

• “Rafael”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026

Spanish

Etymology

From Hebrew רָפָאֵל (Rāfāʾēl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rafaˈel/ [ra.faˈel]
• Rhymes: -el
• Syllabification: Ra‧fa‧el

Proper noun

Rafael m

1. (biblical) Raphael
2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Raphael

Proper noun

Rafael m or f by sense

1. a surname transferred from the given name

Derived terms

• prerrafaelista (“Pre-Raphaelite”)
• Rafa (diminutive)

Related terms

• Rafaela (feminine form)

Swedish

Etymology

From Hebrew רָפָאֵל (Rāfāʾēl).

Proper noun

Rafael c (genitive Rafaels)

1. Raphael (biblical character)
2. a male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin; sometimes used as a Christianized form of Ragnvald

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish Rafael, from Hebrew רָפָאֵל (Rāfāʾēl).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ɾafaˈʔel/ [ɾɐ.fɐˈʔɛl]
  • IPA^(key): (with nativization) /ɾapaˈʔel/ [ɾɐ.pɐˈʔɛl]
• Rhymes: -el
• Syllabification: Ra‧fa‧el

Proper noun

Rafaél (Baybayin spelling ᜇᜉᜁᜎ᜔)

1. a male given name from Spanish