Refael is a variant of Raphael, from Hebrew, meaning God has healed.
Refael is the Hebrew-script transliteration of Raphael, one of the most venerated names in the Abrahamic traditions. The name is composed of two Hebrew roots: 'rapha,' meaning 'to heal,' and 'El,' the word for God — thus the name means 'God has healed' or 'God heals.' Raphael is numbered among the archangels in Jewish scripture, the Book of Tobit in the Catholic and Orthodox canon, and Islamic tradition, where he is known as Israfil.
In each tradition he is the angel of healing, mercy, and divine restoration. The name reached cultural immortality through the arts. The Renaissance painter Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino — known simply as Raphael — was considered by his contemporaries to be the embodiment of artistic perfection, and his Madonnas and frescoes in the Vatican remain among the most celebrated images in Western art.
His very name became synonymous with grace and mastery. Raphael is also one of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, giving the name playful pop-cultural currency with younger generations. The spelling Refael, used in Israeli and Sephardic Jewish communities, preserves the guttural 'r' and the direct Hebrew phonology, distinguishing it from the Italian-influenced Raphael.
In using this form, families signal a conscious connection to Hebrew heritage. The name carries an extraordinary weight of healing, artistry, and celestial protection across millennia.