Raphael
[ræfəˈɛl]Meaning
from the Hebrew name רָפָאֵל (Rafaʾel), meaning "God heals"
Background Story
Raphael derives from the Hebrew roots רָפָא (rafa), "to heal", and אֵל (ʾel), "God". In Hebrew tradition it is the name of an archangel. It has never been common in the English-speaking world, though it has been well-used elsewhere in Europe, and it is used in Armenian, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Latin, Dutch, French, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Polish and Portuguese. A famous bearer was the Italian Renaissance master Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520), usually known simply as Raphael in English.
Temperament
Variations
Rafa, Raph
Related Names
RaphaëL
From the Hebrew name רָפָאֵל (Rafaʾel) meaning "God heals"
Asterix
A pun on French ast risque, "asterisk, little star", with the Gaulish element rix, "king"
Elliott
English surname from a diminutive of the medieval name Elias, meaning "my God is Yahweh"
Ezekiel
From Hebrew Yeḥezqel, "God will strengthen"
Galilee
A region in northern Israel, known for its historical and religious significance
Malachi
From Hebrew malʾaḵi, "my messenger" or "my angel"
Matthis
A variation of the name Matthew, meaning gift of God
Mihal
Romansh name meaning "who is like a God"; also a surname
Mitchel
English variant of Mitchell, from the Anglo-Norman surname
Phineas
Variant of Phinehas, used in some English versions of the Old Testament