The name Rachel is Hebrew in origin, and means ewe, the female sheep or the one with purity.
Rachel is used mostly in European and English speaking countries because these countries are (or have been in the past) predominately Christian or Jewish and therefore have obvious relations to the Bible.
Rachel was the wife of Jacob, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was described as "beautiful in form and countenance". She was first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 29.
Rachel, as a name, has many variants, including Rachael, Racquel, Raychel and Rachele. The name can also be abbreviated to Ray, Shelly, Shelly and Chelle. Rachel is a very popular name in the United States and is frequently ranked in the top 100 female names. The name also features regularly near the top of the female names in England, Australia, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Israel and Canada.
Like other Hebrew names, the name Rachel is very popular amongst the Jewish community.
There are many famous people with the name Rachel, some of them actresses. Actresses include Rachel Bilson, Rachel G Fox, Rachel Nichols, Rachel McAdams, Rachel Ryan and Rachel Weisz. The most popular of these actresses is Rachel Weisz, a British actress who has appeared in a number of movies including Stealing Beauty, The Mummy, Enemy at the Gates and The Constant Gardener. Weisz won a number of awards for her role as Tessa Quayle in The Constant Gardener, include the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Rachel Stevens was a member of the British teen group S Club 7, and has since gone on to achieve some solo success.
There are also some famous sports stars with the name Rachel, among them Rachel Walker, a hockey player and Rachel Harris, an Australian swimmer. Some television characters have also been named Rachel, including Jennifer Aniston's character in Friends, and a character in the popular television series Glee.
Rachel is used mostly in European and English speaking countries because these countries are (or have been in the past) predominately Christian or Jewish and therefore have obvious relations to the Bible.
Rachel was the wife of Jacob, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was described as "beautiful in form and countenance". She was first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 29.
Rachel, as a name, has many variants, including Rachael, Racquel, Raychel and Rachele. The name can also be abbreviated to Ray, Shelly, Shelly and Chelle. Rachel is a very popular name in the United States and is frequently ranked in the top 100 female names. The name also features regularly near the top of the female names in England, Australia, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Israel and Canada.
Like other Hebrew names, the name Rachel is very popular amongst the Jewish community.
There are many famous people with the name Rachel, some of them actresses. Actresses include Rachel Bilson, Rachel G Fox, Rachel Nichols, Rachel McAdams, Rachel Ryan and Rachel Weisz. The most popular of these actresses is Rachel Weisz, a British actress who has appeared in a number of movies including Stealing Beauty, The Mummy, Enemy at the Gates and The Constant Gardener. Weisz won a number of awards for her role as Tessa Quayle in The Constant Gardener, include the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Rachel Stevens was a member of the British teen group S Club 7, and has since gone on to achieve some solo success.
There are also some famous sports stars with the name Rachel, among them Rachel Walker, a hockey player and Rachel Harris, an Australian swimmer. Some television characters have also been named Rachel, including Jennifer Aniston's character in Friends, and a character in the popular television series Glee.
