רָחֵל
Rachel means “ewe”
Rachel is a girl's name of Biblical origin.
Her tomb outside Bethlehem is a pilgrimage site.
- In Hebrew
- רָחֵל
- On an ID card
- רחל
- In English letters
- Rachel
- Other English spellings
- Rahel, Rochel, Rakhel, Rachelle, Rachael
- Other Hebrew spellings
- רשל · רייצ'ל · רקל · רייצל · ראשל · רחיל · ראקל · ראכיל · ראכל · ריצ'ל
- Meaning
- Ewe
- Origin
- Biblical
- Given to
- Girls
- Gematria value
- 238
60,425 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 carry the name Rachel.
- 60,402 of them are women and girls, and 23 are men and boys.
- 1,508 of them were born in 1951, more than in any other year.
- Carriers born 2020 to 2024: 3,872, against 3,380 born 2010 to 2014, so its share of births is about the same.
- The total includes the other Hebrew spellings the register counts separately: רשל, רייצ'ל, רקל, רייצל, ראשל, רחיל, ראקל, ראכיל, ראכל, ריצ'ל. The chart shows the spelling רחל alone.
Central Bureau of Statistics register, April 2025. People who changed their name are counted under the one they carry now, and a year with fewer than five shows as zero.
This is how Rachel is counted in each population group.
These are the people born 1949 to 2024 who carry the spelling רחל today, in each population group and sex the register lists for it. The rank counts the names given in 2024, and 1 is the most given. A count under 5 is not published, so the table says “fewer than 5”, and 0 means nobody.
| Population group | Carriers | Born in 2024 | Rank in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish girls | 59,083 | 697 | 17 of 678 |
| Jewish boys | 11 | 0 | – |
| Muslim girls | 64 | 0 | – |
| Christian Arab girls | 8 | 0 | – |
| Druze girls | 25 | 0 | – |
In 2024, Rachel ranked 17 of 678 among the names given to Jewish girls.
Source: the Central Bureau of Statistics table of current first names of people born 1949 to 2024, by sex and population group (release 391/2025 of 8 December 2025, read on 2 November 2026). Groups and sexes with no row for this spelling are left out.
These six names are close to Rachel in theme or origin.
These are the questions people ask about the name Rachel.
What does the name Rachel mean?
Rachel means “ewe”. Rachel is a girl's name of Biblical origin. Her tomb outside Bethlehem is a pilgrimage site.
Is Rachel a boy's name or a girl's name?
Rachel is mainly a girl's name. Of the 60,425 Jewish Israelis born since 1949 who carry it, 60,402 are women and girls and 23 are men and boys.
How do you write Rachel in Hebrew?
Rachel is written רחל in Hebrew. With vowel points it is written רָחֵל. The register also counts these other Hebrew spellings: רשל, רייצ'ל, רקל, רייצל, ראשל, רחיל, ראקל, ראכיל, ראכל, ריצ'ל.
How many people in Israel are named Rachel?
60,425 Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 carry Rachel today. The most were born in 1951. In 2024, Rachel ranked 17 of 678 among the names given to Jewish girls.
Counts are Jewish Israelis born 1949 to 2024 who carry the name today, from the Central Bureau of Statistics register of April 2025. Meanings follow the standard etymologies of Hebrew name references, and where nobody can be sure the page says so.