Raphael/Rafael

[octaviarose]

How popular is this name becoming and do you think you need to have some exotic foreign blood to pull it off.

It's becoming more popular, but still outside of the top 100 boys name (including when you take into account the two spellings).

Personally I think it works better for a child with some Spanish/French/Italian heritage, but I wouldn't think it too out there for a British heritage child.

Michaelangelo, Donatello and Leonardo. Sorry. We have one in our family (and he does meet the requisite heritage requirements) but still, my first thought was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when that name was announced.

DD picked DS's name and she named him after her favourite Ninja turtle, ergo he is Raphael.

I believe it is getting more popular but not massively so. That said, I taught a parenting class when DS was 11 days old and used him as my model. Three of the pregnant women there used his name so if we don't move, his class will be overrun! It's definitely not top 100.

Great nickname potential too. DS prefers Raffy but he gets Rafe, Rafa, Rapha-Roo and so on.

I'm not remotely bothered by the ninja turtle connection.

If you went by Mumsnet you would think very, but I don't actually know any in RL (I've come across 2 but they're not boys I know). Mumsnet is not really representative as far as I can tell and judging by some of the names you come across here.

I don't think you need to have any particular heritage because Raphael is the English name for the angel (obviously you might not be naming after the angel but there is no other English version). I am planning to use this name (spelt Rafael) at the moment - I don't have Spanish heritage but I do have Italian - however it is not the Italian name - the Italian is Raffaelle (that might be spelt wrong - you pronounce the "e" at the end though).

I really don't think ninja turtles are an issue because those are all the first names of artists (well not sure if Donatello was first or last name, but the others are first names - Michaelangelo or Leonardo would be perfectly normal Italian name, I think).

Lovely name :)