4,334 Global RAPHAEL Family Members

RAPHAEL Family History

Recorded in a wide range of spellings including Rafael, Raphael, Refael, Refaeli, Rafeaely, Raffello, Rachwal, Raphaelov, and Refalovich, this is a European surname and originally a Christian one only. It is of ancient biblical origins and derives from the Hebrew male given name of Refael, which translates loosely as "healing god". This was one of the names borne by the three archangels, the others being Michael and Gabriel. For reasons unclear, Raphael did not achieve anything like the popularity of the other names, although all were introduced into Europe by returning Crusaders from the the 11th century. It became the custom for these warrriors and pilgrims to call their children after biblical figures, mainly as a momento of the father's attempts to wrest the Holy Land from the infidel...