Rachel

• Rachael, Rachelle, Rach

From Late Latin Rāchēl, from Ancient Greek Ῥαχήλ (Rhakhḗl), from Biblical Hebrew רָחֵל (rāḫēl, “ewe”). Doublet of Raquel.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹeɪt͡ʃəl/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪtʃəl
• Hyphenation: Ra‧chel

Rachel

1. Younger daughter of Laban, sister to Leah, and second wife of Jacob.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 29:16–18:

     And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

2. A female given name from Hebrew.
   • 1849 The Massachusetts Teacher, Massachusetts Teachers' Association, Vol. 2,page 26, January 1849:

     Rachel is another modest, nun-like name, of the same order as Judith, and has the appropriate signification of a lamb.

   • 1979, Doris Lessing, Shikasta, Knopf, published 1979, →ISBN, page 293:

     She keeps saying, You are mistaken Rachel. She says my name in that heavy earnest way. The Jewish Ra-chel. I like my name like that. I have always been pleased when people said Ra-chel. But when she says it, it is as if she was taking me over. Through my name.

   • 2010, Rob Sachs, What Would Rob Do?, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:

     I recognize that a name like Rachel goes against my whole "ordering a different dish from everyone else at the table" rule, but sometimes you really want a steak, and that's exactly what you should get. I love the name we gave our daughter. It's not dorky, not too whimsical, and not too stuck-up. To us it sounded sweet, sporty, smart, and beautiful. It also works well with Sachs.

3. A census-designated place in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States; named for the first baby born in the town.
4. A census-designated place in West Virginia, United States; named for the daughter of a local mine owner.

• Lacher

• IPA^(key): /ʁa.ʃɛl/

Rachel f

1. Rachel (biblical figure)
2. a female given name

• lâcher

• Rahel (preferred as a given name, though also infrequent)

• IPA^(key): /ˈʁaxəl/

• Audio

  (file)

Rachel f (proper noun, genitive Rachels or (with an article) Rachel)

1. Rachel (biblical figure)
2. a female given name of rare usage

From Ancient Greek Ῥαχήλ (Rhakhḗl), from Biblical Hebrew רָחֵל (Rāḥēl)

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈraː.kʰeːl/, [ˈräːkʰeːɫ̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈra.kel/, [ˈräːkel]

Rāchēl f sg (genitive Rāchēlis); third declension

1. a female given name from Hebrew

Third-declension noun, singular only.