Rafael (given name)

Rafael is a masculine given name. It is a Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Raphael.^[1][2] It translates to "God has healed" and "God heals" in Hebrew.^[2] Notable people with the name include:

People

Arts and entertainment

• Rafael Araneda (born 1969), Chilean television personality
• Rafael Bittencourt (fl. 1991), Brazilian power metal composer and songwriter
• Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (1933–2014), Spanish conductor and composer
• Rafael Kayanan (born 1962), Filipino-American artist
• Rafaël Ouellet, Canadian film director
• Rafael L. Silva (born 1994), Brazilian-American actor

Politics

• Rafael Correa (born 1963), former president of Ecuador
• Rafael Edward Cruz (born 1970), more commonly known as Ted Cruz, American politician
• Rafael Eitan (1929–2004), Israeli general, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, and politician
• Rafael Macias, American politician
• Rafael Trujillo (1891–1961), former Dominican president

Sports

Association football

Brazilian

• Rafael Cabral (born 1990)
• Rafael Vágner Dias Silva (born 1983)
• Rafael Godoi Pereira (born 1985)
• Rafael Nascimento (born 1984)
• Rafael Pereira da Silva (footballer born 1980)
• Rafael Pereira da Silva (footballer born 1990)
• Rafael Pires Vieira (born 1978)
• Rafael Schmitz (born 1980)
• Rafael Sóbis (born 1985)
• Rafael Tolói (born 1990)

Mexican

• Rafael Baca (born 1989)
• Rafael Cuevas (born 1980), goalkeeper
• Rafael Figueroa (born 1983)
• Rafael Guerrero (born 2003)
• Rafael Márquez (born 1979), coach and former player
• Rafael Medina (born 1979)

Portuguese

• Rafael Barbosa (footballer, born 1996)
• Rafaël Dias (born 1991)
• Rafael Floro (born 1994)
• Rafael Leão (born 1999)
• Rafael Lopes (born 1991)
• Rafael Ramos (footballer) (born 1995)
• Rafael Veloso (born 1993), goalkeeper

Spanish

• Rafael Alkorta (born 1968)
• Rafael Benítez (born 1960), football manager and former player
• Rafael Gordillo (born 1957)
• Rafael Oramas (1904–1968)
• Rafael Wellington (born 1985)

Other nationalities

• Rafael Bianchi (born 1971), Uruguayan footballer
• Rafael Dudamel (born 1973), Venezuelan football manager and former goalkeeper
• Rafael Farfán (born 1975), Peruvian footballer
• Rafael Guarderas (born 1993), Peruvian footballer
• Rafael Haller (born 2000), Uruguayan footballer
• Rafael Kazior (born 1983), German footballer
• Rafael Mea Vitali (born 1975), Venezuelan footballer
• Rafael Monti (born 1999), Argentine footballer
• Rafael Robayo (born 1984), Colombian footballer
• Rafael Santos Borré (born 1995), Colombian footballer
• Rafael Struick (born 2003), Indonesian footballer
• Rafael Uiterloo (born 1990), Dutch footballer
• Rafael Urazbakhtin (born 1978), Kazakhstani football manager and former player
• Rafael van der Vaart (born 1983), Dutch footballer
• Rafael Zuviría (born 1951), Argentine footballer

Baseball

• Rafael Álvarez (baseball) (born 1977), Venezuelan baseball player
• Rafael Devers (born 1996), Dominican baseball player
• Rafael Dolis (born 1988), Dominican baseball player
• Rafael Figarola (1882–?), Cuban baseball player
• Rafael Furcal (born 1977), Dominican baseball player
• Rafael Montalvo (baseball) (born 1964), Puerto Rican baseball player
• Rafael Montero (baseball) (born 1990), Dominican baseball player
• Rafael Ortega (baseball) (born 1991), Venezuelan baseball player
• Rafael Palmeiro (born 1964), Cuban-American Major League Baseball player
• Rafael Pérez (baseball) (born 1982), Dominican baseball player
• Rafael Santana (born 1958), Dominican baseball player
• Rafael Soriano (born 1979), Dominican baseball player
• Rafael Ynoa (born 1987), Dominican baseball player

Boxing and martial arts

• Rafael Alves (fighter) (born 1990), Brazilian mixed martial artist
• Rafael dos Anjos (born 1984), Brazilian mixed martial artist
• Rafael Carbonell (born 1943), Cuban flyweight boxer
• Rafael Carvalho (born 1986), Brazilian mixed martial artist
• Rafael Cavalcante (born 1980), Brazilian mixed martial artist
• Rafael Cordeiro (born 1973), Brazilian mixed martial artist and coach
• Rafael Fiziev (born 1993), Azerbaijani mixed martial artist
• Rafael Guzmán (1986–2011), Mexican boxer
• Rafael Herrera (born 1945), Mexican boxer
• Rafael Iglesias (boxer) (1924–1999), Argentine boxer
• Rafael Lovera (1952–2023), Paraguayan boxer
• Rafael Natal (born 1982), Brazilian mixed martial artist
• Rafael Ramos (boxer) (born 1965), Puerto Rican boxer
• Rafael Rebello (born 1980), Brazilian mixed martial artist
• Rafael Ruelas (born 1979), Mexican boxer
• Rafael Silva (fighter) (born 1985), Brazilian mixed martial artist
• Rafael Silva (judoka) (born 1987), Brazilian judoka
• Rafael Zuñiga (born 1963), Colombian boxer

Car racing

• Rafael Câmara (born 2005), Brazilian racing driver
• Rafael Daniel (born 1983), Brazilian racing driver
• Rafael Sperafico (1981–2007), Brazilian racing driver
• Rafael Suzuki (born 1987), Brazilian racing driver
• Rafael Villagómez (born 2001), Mexican racing driver

Cycling

• Rafael Andriato (born 1987), Brazilian road cyclist
• Rafael Montero (cyclist) (1913–1962), Chilean cylcist
• Rafael Montiel (born 1981), Colombian road cyclist
• Rafael Silva (cyclist) (born 1990), Portuguese cyclist

Other sports

• Rafael Alarçón (born 1977), Brazilian squash player
• Rafael Alarcón (golfer) (born 1958), Mexican golfer
• Rafael Álvarez (diver) (born 1971), Spanish diver
• Rafael Araujo-Lopes (born 1996), American gridiron football player
• Rafael Arévalo (born 1986), Salvadoran tennis player
• Rafael Cerro (born 1997), Colombian weightlifter
• Rafael Cerro (bullfighter) (born 1993), Spanish bullfighter
• Rafael Duk (born 1962/63), Mexican gridiron football player and coach
• Rafael Hechanova (1928–2021), Filipino basketball player
• Rafael López (handballer) (born 1953), Spanish handballer
• Rafael Nadal (born 1986), Spanish tennis player
• Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno (born 1957), Filipino bowler
• Rafael Pascual (volleyball) (born 1970), Spanish volleyball player
• Rafael Romero (1938–2021), Venezuelan sprinter
• Rafael Usín Guisado (born 1987), Spanish futsal player

Saints

• Rafael Arnáiz Barón (1911–1938), Spanish saint
• Rafael Guízar y Valencia (1878–1938), Mexican Roman Catholic bishop and saint

Other fields

• Rafael Caro Quintero (born 1952), Mexican former drug lord
• Rafael C. Castillo (fl. 1971), Mexican-American editor, author, and academician
• Rafael Spósito Balzarini (1952–2009), Uruguayan anarchist, sociologist, and journalist

Fictional characters

• Rafael Barba, (Raúl Esparza) appearing on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
• Rafael Solano, (Justin Baldoni), a principal character on Jane the Virgin
• Rafael, a toucan character in the animated film Rio, played by George Lopez
• Dr. Rafael Salazar, the late Argentinian father of the titular character of the 2010-2013 Cartoon Network show Generator Rex.