Raquel
Girl name · #1123 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 209 baby girls were named Raquel, placing it at #1123 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #748, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,612 girls born in 2025 was named Raquel.
The 125-year story
Raquel first appears in the Social Security records in 1900, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1970, when 1,470 girls were named Raquel — good for #215 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Raquel per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Raquel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Raquel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Raquel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Raquel will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Raquel is most common
Geography matters for names, and Raquel is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Raquel is most common in NJ (0.4 per 1,000), TX (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Raquel is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Raquel
Statistically, parents drawn to Raquel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Maribel, Laurel, Noel, Lorena, and Ingrid.
MaribelLaurelNoelLorenaIngridChanelRobynSonia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Raquel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 209 | #1120 |
| 2024 | 232 | #1070 |
| 2023 | 295 | #905 |
| 2022 | 261 | #1003 |
| 2021 | 296 | #909 |
| 2020 | 277 | #932 |
| 2019 | 309 | #866 |
| 2018 | 288 | #928 |
| 2017 | 308 | #883 |
| 2016 | 336 | #845 |
| 2015 | 377 | #748 |
| 2014 | 404 | #697 |
| 2013 | 409 | #690 |
| 2012 | 456 | #627 |
| 2011 | 449 | #634 |
| 2010 | 486 | #604 |
| 2009 | 465 | #639 |
| 2008 | 538 | #573 |
| 2007 | 651 | #497 |
| 2006 | 604 | #506 |
| 2005 | 648 | #475 |
| 2004 | 688 | #444 |
| 2003 | 770 | #395 |
| 2002 | 756 | #389 |
| 2001 | 852 | #351 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Raquel a popular girl name?
Raquel ranked #1123 among girls in 2025 with 209 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #748.
When was the name Raquel most popular?
Raquel peaked in 1970, when 1,470 American girls received the name (ranked #215 that year). Since 1970 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Raquel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,612 newborn American girls was named Raquel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.