Explore the Family Name Rachel
The meaning of Rachel
1. German (mainly Bavaria): probably a topographic name from Middle High German rach ‘rough, steep’. 2. German: habitational name from a place called Rachel in Bohemia. 3. Sorbian: from an Upper Sorbian derivative (originally also spelled Rachol) of the personal name Rach. 4. French: from the female Biblical name Rachel, meaning ‘ewe’ in Hebrew. In the Bible (Genesis 28–35), Rachel is the wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. 5. English: habitational name from an unidentified place. 6. English: perhaps sometimes from the Middle English and Biblical personal name Rachel (see 4 above), which is absent in England before the Reformation. Whatever its origin, the surname has sometimes been influenced by the Hebrew name; it is otherwise unexplained.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rachel in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Rachel' has seen a slight decrease over the 2000 to 2010 period. In 2000, it was ranked 12,181st and fell to 12,837th in 2010, marking a change of -5.39%. However, the count of individuals with this last name slightly increased by 2.26% from 2,345 in 2000 to 2,398 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also dropped from 0.87 to 0.81 which is a decrease of -6.9%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,181 | #12,837 | -5.39% |
| Count | 2,345 | 2,398 | 2.26% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.87 | 0.81 | -6.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rachel
The ethnic identity distribution of the surname 'Rachel' according to the Decennial U.S. Census shows some interesting changes between 2000 and 2010. People identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander with this surname saw an increase from 0.90% to 1.54%, a substantial growth of 71.11%. Similarly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native rose from 0.43% to 0.67%, a 55.81% increase. The Hispanic ethnicity also increased from 2.26% to 3.25%. However, the percentage of individuals with this surname identifying with two or more races decreased significantly from 2.94% to 1.92%. There were minor decreases in people identifying as White (from 70.19% to 69.39%) and Black (from 23.28% to 23.23%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 70.19% | 69.39% | -1.14% |
| Black | 23.28% | 23.23% | -0.21% |
| Hispanic | 2.26% | 3.25% | 43.81% |
| Two or More Races | 2.94% | 1.92% | -34.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.9% | 1.54% | 71.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.43% | 0.67% | 55.81% |