Rachel
Dante's Vision of Rachel and Leah, the Biblical Rachel and Leah by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1855)
PronunciationEnglish: /ˈrəl/ RAY-chəl
French: [ʁaʃɛl]
German: [ˈʁaxl̩] (Germany) or [ˈraxl̩] (Austria/Switzerland)
Dutch: [ˈrɑxəl]
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameHebrew
Meaning"ewe", "one with purity"
Other names
Nickname(s)Rae, Rach
Related namesRachael, Rae, Rahel, Raquel

Rachel (Hebrew: רָחֵל, Modern: Raḥel, Tiberian: Rāḫēl, Rāḥēl), meaning "ewe",[1][2] is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin, popularized by the biblical figure Rachel, the wife of Israelite patriarch Jacob.

Ashkenazi Jewish matronymic surnames Rokhlin (variants: Rochlin, Rohlin), Raskin, Raskine, Rashkin, Rashkind are derived from variants of the name. The Jewish version of the surname Ruskin is an Americanized form of Raskin.[3]

Sixteenth century baptismal records from England show that Rachel was first used by English Christians in the mid-1500s, becoming popular during the Protestant Reformation along with other names from the Bible.[4]

Usage

The name has been among the five hundred most commonly used names in recent years for newborn girls in France, Ireland, Israel, United Kingdom and the United States.[5][6] [7] [8] [9]

Variants

  • Rachey, Rahel, Rocha, Rochel, Rochie, Rochale, Rochele, Rochlin, Recha, Reche, Reichil, Rela, Releh, Relin, Reiyelina, Rekel, Rikel, Rikla, Rikle, Rasha, Rashe, Rashi, Rashel, Rachelle, Rashil, Rashka, Rashke[10]
  • Rashka, Rashke, Slavic-language-influences Ashkenazi Jewish Yiddish-language, diminutive
  • Recha, a diminutive; an example is Rachel (Recha), the daughter of the protagonist of the 1779 play Nathan the Wise.[11]

In various languages

The name may refer to:

Women named Rachael

Women named Rachelle

Women named Rahel

Women named Rachele

Women named Rakel or Raakel

Fictional characters named Rachel (or variants thereof)

See also

  • All pages with titles beginning with Rachel
  • Raquel (includes Racquel)
  • Rokhlin (includes Rochlin)

References

  1. "Strong's Hebrew: 7353. רָחֵל (rachel) – ewe". Biblehub.com. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  2. "Leah and Rachel (No. 295)". Ccg.org. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  3. Hanks, Patrick (2003-05-08). Dictionary of American Family Names: 3-Volume Set. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-19-508137-4.
  4. Redmonds, George, Christian Names in Local and Family History, Dundurn Press, 2004, ISBN 1-55002-507-4 p. 41
  5. "Outil interactif sur les prénoms".
  6. "Introduction - CSO - Central Statistics Office".
  7. "England and Wales Baby Names".
  8. "Popular Baby Names".
  9. "101 Most Popular Jewish Girls Names in Israel in 2019 - B&F: Jewish Genealogy and More". 9 November 2020.
  10. Rabbi Shmuel Gorr, Jewish Personal Names: Their Origin, Derivation, and Diminutive Forms, 1992, ISBN 0962637327 p. 75 (also an online list by the author, based on the book)
  11. Frederick Quinn, The Sum of All Heresies: The Image of Islam in Western Thought, p. 85
  12. Lansky, Bruce, 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book Da Capo Lifelong Books; Revised edition (July 9, 2019), ISBN 978-0-306-922985
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