Rachel

רָחֵל

• Gender: Female
• Origin: Biblical English
• Meaning: ewe

• Rachel is one of the great matriarch names of the Jewish tradition, belonging to Jacob's beloved wife and a mother of the Jewish people. Its meaning, "ewe," speaks to the pastoral world of the Bible, but its enduring appeal has far more to do with the deep love story at its heart. With variants like Rachelle, Rahel, and the Yiddish Rochele, it is a name that has been lovingly adapted across centuries and communities.

  Some names simply transcend trends entirely, and this is one of them. After peaking in the nineties thanks to a certain Central Perk regular, it has settled into a confident, evergreen elegance that never feels dated or overdone. Today's Rachels include the brilliantly funny Rachel Bloom, who brought Jewish identity front and center on "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." A name that requires zero explanation and carries infinite depth.

• Alternate Spellings: Rachael
• Hebrew Equivalent:
  Rahel
• Potential Sibling Name:
  Hannah
  ,
  Sarah
  ,
  David
  ,
  Daniel
• Theme: animals