What Does the Name Rachel Mean?

Rachel is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning “ewe (female sheep).”

Updated June 2026

Name	Rachel
Gender	female
Origin	Hebrew
Meaning	ewe (female sheep)
Variants	Rachael, Rachelle, Raquel, Rakel, Rae
Popularity	Extremely popular in the US in the 1980s and 1990s (often top 10); now in more moderate but steady use.

The meaning and origin of Rachel

The name Rachel means “ewe (female sheep)” and has Hebrew origins. Rachel comes from the Hebrew Rachel, meaning ewe, and is the name of Jacob's wife and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin in the Book of Genesis. A perennial biblical favorite, it surged in popularity in the late 20th century.

Variants and related names

Rachel is related to several other names you may recognize: Rachael, Rachelle, Raquel, Rakel, Rae. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Rachel?

Extremely popular in the US in the 1980s and 1990s (often top 10); now in more moderate but steady use.

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