Explore the Family Name Raphael
The meaning of Raphael
1. Jewish, English, and German; French and Haitian (Raphaël): from the Hebrew personal name Refa’el composed of the elements refa ‘to heal’ + El ‘God’. This was borne by an archangel in the Bible. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, e.g. Italian Raffaele, Spanish Rafael. 2. English and Scottish: variant of Raffel. Some characteristic forenames: French Antoine, Jacques, Micheline, Georges, Giraud, Huguette, Jean-Claude.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Raphael in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Raphael has seen a rise in popularity over a decade. In 2000, it held the rank of 8,107, but by 2010, it had moved up to 7,614, marking an improvement of around 6.08%. The number of individuals bearing this surname also increased from 3,768 to 4,366 during this period, representing an increase of 15.87%. The proportion of people named Raphael per 100,000 also rose by 5.71% to reach 1.48 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,107 | #7,614 | 6.08% |
| Count | 3,768 | 4,366 | 15.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.4 | 1.48 | 5.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Raphael
The ethnicity breakdown for the surname Raphael shows some significant changes between 2000 and 2010 as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest growth was seen in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, which grew by a substantial 67.52%, albeit from a small base of 1.57% to 2.63%. The count of Raphael's identifying as Black also saw a considerable increase of 25.29%, rising from 27.44% in 2000 to 34.38% in 2010. Meanwhile, those citing two or more races decreased by 35.21%, from 4.80% to 3.11%. The percentage of people with the Raphael surname who identify as White declined by 13.22% to reach 50.94% in 2010. The Hispanic representation also saw an uptick from 5.12% to 6.50%, marking a 26.95% change. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category witnessed a slight increase of 2.97%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 58.7% | 50.94% | -13.22% |
| Black | 27.44% | 34.38% | 25.29% |
| Hispanic | 5.12% | 6.5% | 26.95% |
| Two or More Races | 4.8% | 3.11% | -35.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.57% | 2.63% | 67.52% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.36% | 2.43% | 2.97% |
Raphael ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Raphael is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 24.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (23.0%) and French & German (11.3%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Levantine, Nigerian, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 24.3% |
| British & Irish | 23.0% |
| French & German | 11.3% |
| Other | 41.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Raphael
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Raphael have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 50.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 49.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 49.60% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 48.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 48.90% |
What Raphael haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Raphael is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-M2 and E-CTS4231, which are predominantly found among people with Sub-Saharan African and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Neuman, Mee, Medford, Despain, Desrochers, Medellin, Detweiler, Mecham, Meaney, Devault.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Raphael surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Raphael have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Raphael" Surname 44.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Raphael" Surname 18.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Raphael" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Raphael" Surname 18.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Raphael?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Raphael are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition