Rachel

My name is Rachel, and over the years I've grown to love it. When I was younger (I'm 22 now), I wanted a name like Elizabeth or Lisette, something longer and more feminine sounding. But now, I love it. The way it sounds when someone softly says "Rachel" when speaking to me is beautiful, and the casual "Rach" taken up by some of my friends and colleagues is a favorite. It's a short, simple name, not too feminine for my law-school-bound, sports-addict personality, but not too masculine to sound absolutely beautiful and playful. I don't think I could have been named anything else.

I can get behind this name. It's pretty neat and both spellings (Rachel & Rachael) look pleasing. By the way, Michael and Rachel might make for a really cute twin pairing name.

Rachel is sophisticated, elegant and feminine.

Like it though I will probably never use it. It does seem a bit dated though.

My name is Rachel and it gets confused with Rachael. I get called Rayray sometimes.

As someone named Rachel, I like my name. Although it would not have been one of my top picks if I were to have named myself, I'm content with it. I do find it somewhat of a mouthful to say for some people (I've gotten "rah-kel," "rah-chill," and the such) which is mildly frustrating but fine as it is popular enough where the vast majority of people can pronounce and spell it correctly. Another unpleasant part is it's history and meaning. Not to sound jealous or pissy but most names have cool meanings such as "beloved," "beautiful," "gentle," "noble," etc. Etc., but Rachel literally just means "ewe/female sheep." kind of lame to be honest. And personally not very fun, as I have multiple experiences from elementary school when my wonderful fellow classmates learned my name's meaning and called me a sheep for who knows how long. So. if you do name your kid Rachel just be prepared for that.

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Overall Rachel is an okay name. But if you are considering naming your child this I would probably tell you to refrain from doing so due to the not-very-subtle lameness of the name. It is quite common, rather bland, can be misspelled (Rachael, Rachele, Raychel) and mispronounced, and has a meaning that will likely get your kid teased/bullied if they ever find out.

I think knowing the rather disgusting context of it's biblical origins might have permanently ruined this name for me.

Rachel is SO 90’s to me, and I love it.

Rachel is a name that makes me feel so happy! This is a top-tier girls name, reminding me of sunny days, with flower dust (flowing in the wind), gentle rain, and a starry night (with fireflies). If you’re considering Rachel, I say to go for it! If you dislike it, okay; just know, I highly disagree!

My name is Rachel and I love it! I think it sounds refined and pretty, and I think it fits my personality really well. I'm biased because I adore R names in general (like Robert, Raphael, Ryan, Ruth, Rose, and Rebecca). I don't understand all the comments about it sounding harsh, I don't think it sounds harsh at all. I know it's a bit dated, but I think it's still useable, and it's not dated in like a Gertrude or Bartholomew way.

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9/10. Great name.

Beautiful but too old-fashioned.

Rachel is such a beautiful name, and if you think otherwise, I will personally find your house, steal your social security number, take all the money from your bank account, and set it on fire. But not before stealing a couple of hundred dollar bills.

Rachel is an absolute beautiful name and you can never convince me that it isn't. How dare you not love this name. It is so beautiful, even if it's considered a generic name. Don't you dare slander anything about this name.

My name is Rachel. Honestly, I hate it. I think it sounds ugly (it's literally pronounced ray-chul?) and it makes me cringe. I also dislike the biblical connotations since I have a complicated relationship with religion. I'm actually so glad to see comments agreeing with me. I thought Rachel was a beloved name that you were weird for not liking. Anyway, I prefer being called "Elle" even though it's not a usual nickname for Rachel.

It sounds a bit harsh to me, but I appreciate it being Biblical. Like Judith, I'd use it only as a second name. Some call it "dated", but it's just that the name was highly popular during a certain period, and then people moved on, as they do after a name has a surge in popularity.

Absolutely gorgeous. I love Rachel it's very sweet and beautiful. ❤❤.

I do not like this name. Reminds me of a girl who only cares about herself.

My name is Rachel. I've always loved my name, (though as an Anne of Green Gables fan being named after the mean character was a bit disappointing) it's easy to pronounce, unique yet not too unique, not too long and a cute meaning. Though if your name is Rachel, be prepared for EVERYONE to spell your name Rachael. I went to a bunch of different groups and clubs as a kid, and the people writing my name usually had to cross out an A. I personally prefer my name over Rachael, however that seems to be about 50/50. As for nicknames, I didn't really get many horrible ones. I was called Rachie when I was little, sometimes called Rach, and one friend used to call me Ranchel because she knew I hated it. That sums it all up, I guess.

I like the name Rachel. It doesn't sound TOO old fashioned to me like most dated names.

Rachel is a little too old fashioned for me so it’s not my type of name. I don’t really like it.

I think Rachel is a nice timeless name that easily “suits” many different personalities beautifully. I also appreciate that it is a biblical name.

Reminds me of the word ratchet, which is what this name is.

It's not bad, but I only know 50 year old white moms with this name. (joke: Rachel is actually a decent name)

This name makes me think of Rachel Faucette and Rachel from the Bible. I'm not sure if these are good or bad connotations, but learning that it means 'ewe' I think this name is going onto my 'Names I wish I liked' list.

It's harsh, but that's why I like it. Tough as nails also feminine and pretty. It's sad that I can't use this name.

It's definitely very dated by now.

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It feels super mid-90s and Rachel on "FRIENDS" to me. When I hear it I immediately think of the Rachel-haircut, tamagotchis, tattoo necklaces and coffee shops.

I named my second daughter Rachel. She is a smart, beautiful and sophisticated young lady. Very social, fashionable and successful career. Has a wonderful fiancé and a big, sweet dog that won’t leave her side. Not to mention a mom and dad that love her exponentially. Say whatever you may, but any woman named Rachel is nothing less than amazing!

Dated. Rachel is the average 30-40 year old.

My mother's name. I might someday use it as a middle name. I also might shorten it to Rae instead of Rachel.

I like its history but it sounds a bit harsh and is very 90s dated these days.

I like this! It's quite beautiful, and not boring at all!

Classic, beautiful name.

Timeless name.

I like this name! Rachel feels strong, mature, a good quality name that fits great for different age women! Nice name!

My name is Rachel, I love the meaning of it and think that the meaning is a bit unique because it’s not a concept like “beauty” or “kindness” or “strength” but instead it’s “female lamb” which comes with its own connotations and symbolisms. But I will say it is a bit of a strange name. When I think of a girl named “Rachel” I don’t think of anyone of a specific personality type or background, they’re just sort of whatever they may be. It’s quite common but it’s sort of unique as an “American” or “English” girls name. It’s not especially feminine sounding or beautiful, it doesn’t have an “ay” or “ee” sound at the end like a lot of girls names. I do understand when people say it sounds harsh, maybe even neutral or masculine but I think that’s a unique quality about it. I think if you’re a feminist person who’d doesn’t want a girly name but wants a name that possess a unique quality but isn’t as outrightly contrived or misfitted as a lot of the currently trendy “unique names” then it’s a solid timeless name.

Not a fan at all. Just ugly!

This is my deadname. I hate it with a burning passion. I personally associate this name when I was a huge jerk, and get "Karen but built different" vibes from it.

Very very dated. Typical 35-45 year old.

Horrendous.

I now associate this name with... Nope, still hate it.

This is my mom's name, I think it is beautiful! I would take this name for myself.

My name is Rachel May & I've never not loved it. It’s a beautiful name that's melodic & with innocent connotations.

Beautiful, timeless name.

This name is truly terrible. Yuck!

Boring and sooooo overdone as of about 30 years ago.

This is my name :) I've never thought of it as harsh, I don't know why people are saying that. I prefer how it's said in Hebrew, though. Still, pretty happy with it!

I LOVE the meaning ewe, so sweet! Aside from that I think it’s a very pretty and timeless name.

Rachel is such a common and usual name but I like it a whole lot nevertheless. I get why it sounds harsh to many people, but it does not really to me. I like the Biblical connection, I like how feminine it is, how strong, but very homely/homey at the same time, there is something very friendly and warm about it. It makes me think of the main character of Two Feet Apart, and Rachel Lynde from the Anne of Green Gables series, and other such literary heroines. It's a pleasant name, even if not that very unique.

I personally don't love this name. It sounds harsh and middle aged. I know a ton of Rachels who were born in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to the popularity of the show Friends. It's not particularly beautiful for a younger girl/woman. However, I do like that it has a long history. Someone who enjoys Bible stories would like this name.

Rachel is a smart, bookish girl name!

I really love this name, but I have one Rachel, and one Rachael in my family, so it's kind of unusable for me.

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Sadness...

I love this name so much. It’s so simple yet elegant and timeless. However, the Biblical reference and meaning are not ones I’d be proud of.

I'm back, and my opinion on this name has changed. I think this name is very pretty and classy!

Gorgeous name, and the meaning is sweet. It doesn't sound harsh, I don't see why so many commenters have said that.

Sounds a bit harsh.

Simply beautiful, timeless, feminine name. It ages very well. If we have a daughter, her name will be Rachel Katherine.

Harsh? Why is anyone on planet earth calling this name harsh?
This name is like one of the most feminine names I can think of, technically we could all have problems with any name, so everyone saying it's harsh is just mob mentality (look it up).
Rachel is a great and beautiful name, Biblical, and independent. We (my wife and I) already plan to name our baby girl "Rachel Jordan."
So, to sum up a personal impression, I'm saying this name is great and giving a big THUMBS DOWN to everyone who hates on it.

One of my best friends is named Rachel, and here are my thoughts:
I think a lot of people dog it and call it harsh because it DOES have a kind of edge in it, and doesn't really roll off the tongue.
But I disagree with those people, because I think it is a strong, independent sounding name. Her name is Rachel (first) Rayne (second), I think it sounds both cool and courageous, and even fits her character perfectly. So if your name is Rachel, you have a very beautiful name.

Cute but sort of annoying.

A harsh sounding name, especially the ch '='.

Even though this name is harsh, as many people have mentioned before, I think it's kind of good that it's so popular, when you think that so many people named their daughters Rachel after the Friends character, as someone previously mentioned below, because most people don't like to be known for sharing their name with just one person, like if your name was Madonna or Shakira, you'd be happy to have such a unique celebrity name, but you'd want a few other people to have it as well, so you wouldn't look too weird or different. People never seem to realize that about all the names that are so popular, but I think it's still a point worth making.

In a funny way, something about the look and sound of this name reminds me of meat and dairy products lol, like with roast lamb and ewes milk, hence all the sheep meanings!

Became popular with babies during the height of the Friends sitcom popularity. It's very harsh-sounding.

Kind of sugary when you say it, like crunching into a biscuit or lollipop. Wouldn't call it a sickly name though, still has a sort of natural watery side, like Ellen or Lauren, for instance.

I knew someone with this name. The most beautiful, smart and polite girl I will ever be able to meet. I know this is the reason why I love this name so much, but I think it's a melodic name in English and German. I will always associate her with that name, and my first judgment about everyone with this name will be positive.

My name is Rachel and I love my name!

I am neutral on Rachel. It does sound really ugly because of a neighbor named Rachel that I had a few years ago who was a nasty person, and the Biblical Rachel doesn't seem to be the best association either. Rachel Green from friends is also an awful and common association, so that is why I partially hate it. However, I think Rachel sounds kind of beautiful and gentle at the same time as that.

Could also be the Latin translation for the sky.

I really like this name even though it is a rather popular name. There is something special about it.
I really don't care what "meaning" is assigned to it because it is the individual PERSON that makes the name. I think it is a very good name.

Harsh but quite satisfying.

Would be funny if the name Rachel was actually given to sheep, and the meaning turned out to be 'person' or 'human being'.

My name is Rachel. For most of my life, I felt indifferent to it. There were always at least two other Rachels in my class growing up. I was, however, always grateful I was not named Sarah like my unlucky sister. I really like my name and feel no need to assign myself a nickname; they never caught on anyway. Rachel is a confident, friendly and familiar name. I never had to worry about people mispronouncing it or making fun of it. It is also feminine enough that no one would ever mistake my gender when hearing it.

My name is Rachel, and growing up I was not particularly fond of it. I thought it was an old-fashioned name that no one else had. I wanted a name like "Bethany" or "Melissa". However, now that I am older I have grown to really love the name. I tend to agree with some that it is a harsh sounding name, but I think it gives the impression of someone who is not a follower, but a leader. I like the flow of my first and middle name when said together... Rachel Grace. It is definitely a name you either love or hate, and I do agree that most people think of a snobby girl when they hear it. It has become a very popular name now though.

Honestly, when I hear the name Rachel/Rachael I hear "Rage ell". It doesn't sound nice.

I have a few friends named Rachel and really love the name. I especially love it after learning about the legacy of Rachel Joy Scott, who was killed in the Columbine Massacre on April 20, 1999. It's a beautiful name, also Biblical, and is usually accompanied by a beautiful personality. It's classic, timeless, and, although it is common, is not tired or overused.

My name is Rachel Berry, no joke.. I've hated my name for ages now as I get the odd people come up to me and take the mick out if my name, but then again I love my name. I don't know why I do, I just do. My name makes me feel special in a way I can't describe.

My name is Rashel, and it is not very common. I so far have never come across a girl with my name and also I love my name, because I find it so rare, but I don't know if there are others out there with this name. I prefer Rashel rather than being called Rachel. It just seems to stand out more, but Rachel is also a beautiful name.

My name is Rachel, and we were supposed to do a presentation on the meaning of our names. But ever since the presentation, everyone calls me Lamby. ^-^ They also sing Mary had a little lamb to me. But it's funny :) (my middle name is Mary).

I named my daughter Rachel using the Bible spelling. I loved the flow of her name - Rachel Ilyse (with her middle name pronounced like - Elise - old family name but wanted a unique spelling since I went traditional with the first name.) Main thing is that she likes it!

Rachel isn't necessarily a bad name but it would never be a name I'd choose for my child and the reason has nothing to do with popularity. Decent name but unfortunately, the people with this name that I've seen or met have all been, well... the exact opposite of decent. One "Rachel" in particular has tarnished the name for me. I never obsessed over the name but she blocked up that opportunity. Rachel is a name that I general like (though that may be slipping) but it's not a name I can forsee myself obsessing over.
I honestly wished the one particular Rachel had been named something else. A name I never cared for.

Rachel isn't a bad name, but it's so common, I know about 12 Rachels at my school. Like, give me a break. As people say Amelia is so common, what about Rachel?

It's not bad, but it doesn't really do much for me. Guess I just don't find the sound all that pleasant, pretty, or inspiring. But as with most names, I have a number of associations for it--one of my favorites of which is the main character in The Ring, and how her young son addresses her as "Rachel" instead of "Mom."

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I prefer Rochelle.

It's an ok name, but takes a while to get your head around.

I can't stand this common Rachel Ruth trend, especially when Ruth is much more noble and sophisticated. Never understood why they have to be so alike, just because of the R.

I can easily see why many dislike using biblical names, with a meaning like 'shepherdess'. As important as farming is, it doesn't make the name particularly striking.

Flavorless and painfully common.

Most Rachel's are secretly devils in disguise. Who says 'innocent lamb' about the name anyway? That meaning should belong to another!

Reminds me of nasty girls who leave you out, for some reason.

I love this name- seems quite pretty. I don't think it's ugly at all. :)

I really don't like this name, it's harsh and I can only picture it on old women.

I love my name! I think its cute but intelligent. It suits a child or an adult. The meaning lamb is adorable! And I've been called rach and rachieface, I love them both. Friends usually call me rach but sometimes people I don't know as well will call me rach and I like it, its more of a personal connection. I was named after Rachel greene from friends and I couldn't be more proud! Yes there were 4 other rachels in my graduating class, but we were all very kind and likable people, never mean. And my middle name is Catherine, not Elizabeth. Being born under the Aries sign I really just don't think I could have another name.

My name is Rachel and personally, I love my name. I know a lot of people named Rachel hate it but I don't. Rachel can be an anyone name. A loser, a prom queen, that school *female dog*, the nerdy cute girl, or the prepster. I've seen it all. And a lot of people also think "oh. Rachel means 'ewe' that's really weird. I hate my name" but in Hebrew (I'm Jewish so I was named from the TORAH not the bible. C'mon people. There's a difference) ewe means lamb so as a child my mom always called me lamby, even in public too :( But having my name being Rachel and actually knowing the whole story of Rachel and Jacob and Leah, it adds meaning to my name that I really love. Also, my brothers name is Jacob and my cousins name is Leah so Passover and other Jewish holiday conversations got really weird...
Many people spell my name as Rachael and I actually just hate that spelling. I don't know why, I just do. My name from Hebrew transliteration is spelt Rachelle but doesn't sound like "ray-shell" is sounds like " rah-chell" and the "ch" sounds like your clearing your throat. You know what, Hebrew is a difficult language. Don't even bother sounding that out unless you're a Jew.

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So whenever I find another Rachel, I ask them their middle name. And it turns out a lot of people have "L"s in their middle name. I'm Rachel Ellen. I know a Rachel Lyn. A Rachel Leigh. A Rachel Elizabeth. Rachel Elise. That's about it. But yeah. Those E s and L a are really common in Rachel's middle names.

I always get this name confused with Rebecca for some reason... I prefer Rachel though ;)

My name is Rachel. I went through a long love-hate period with my name (not crazy about the meaning, mostly) but now I've mostly come to accept it. I like that it seems solid- not frilly or princessy like some other names nowadays. And I don't really mind the lack of nicknames, this is a name that really kind of stands on its own. Plus it's reasonably popular (I know several Rachels and a few Rachaels) but not so much that it's overwhelming. Overall, I really do like it, both as a name in its own right and as my name.

This was my grandmother's name. It's a pretty, simple name, not too elaborate but not too overused that its become dull. I really like it.

My name's Rachel, but personally, I don't like it. To me it's overused, cliche, trite, and boring, so yes, I don't like my name. But last year I realized that I could always nickname myself, or what this site calls it-use a diminutive. So my friends, and family (except for my my mom when she's mad) call me Rae. And now looking on the site, Raelene and Raelyn, my favorite being the latter, are also diminutives, so I'm going to end up embracing my name and using Raelyn.

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By the way, the whole 'Rae' nickname started when I wrote it on a school paper in 6th grade, and Chris, this kid in my class who the teacher assigned to collect the papers, saw my nickname atop the paper, and said to me "Oh have your paper RAE." So that's how it all started.

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SO! I don't think Rachel is the best name out there. It has a strange meaning- "ewe" and barely any namesakes- bibilical, and just strikes me as so... boring and mundane. But if your stuck with it at least it has some cool diminutives, like Rae, Raelyn, and Raelene. So you can make the best of it.

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~Rachel aka Rae aka Raelyn~

Rachel is a beautiful name. I like it much better than Mary which means bitter. In choosing a name even for one of my characters, the meaning is very important to me. My name book says Rachel can also mean Quiet Innocence. That's a much better thing to live up to than going through life being called bitter all the time. Not that every Mary in the world is a bitter person. My three requirements for choosing a name is: 1)sounds good with last name, 2)means something pleasant or appropriate to the character/story, 3) sounds pretty and is easy to say. Okay, so that's four but you get my drift. Oh, and it's a classic that will never go out of style. Rachel Leigh Cook is a good actress if not yet famous.

My name's Rachel, and I like my name, people say they don't like it, well that's your opinion, but I don't like the fact that people say they think it's a snobby name or they've never met a nice Rachel because I know I am neither snobby or mean. I am actually a very nice and a bubbly person who is very nice. It's awful that because you have never met a nice Rachel you think all Rachels are nasty well that's not the case. Whoever said they would get a dollar for the amount of people called Rachel Elizabeth, well you will have one less dollar here. Overall I like the name Rachel.

For some reason, this name always makes me think of an enviable girl who is dreamy, ambitious, creative, etc, but in a spoilt and selfish sort of way.

Classic girls name. One of my favourites.

Like the rest of you, I always seem to associate this name with hateful girls (since it almost rhymes with hateful anyway!), but it's strange to think that they didn't actually choose it themselves.

A horrible name to be addressed by, one that is hard to respond to, no matter how sociable you are.

I've never liked this name. It looks kind of pretty on paper but the pronunciation puts me off. The English one is kind of harsh and the Dutch one is simply awful (and it doesn't help that it sounds like the word "rochel", which means "phlegm"). The French one is better but even that one sounds kind of shrill.

The name Rachel sounds too masculine. It reminds me of Richard and Michael.

The name Rachel is not masculine. If it was, it would probably be spelled Rachelo.

This name sounds so harsh. Apparently some people jumped off the bridge to name their kids this and now everyone has. No offense to anyone named Rachel, it just sounds harsh. Imagine if Rachel was uncommon and think of meeting one! You'd think it was odd sounding, for its RAY and CHUL sounds.

This is my real name, and I've hated it for as long as I remember. For one, it was (is?) too popular. In elementary school I had to have my surname tacked on because there were always two or three other Rachels.

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More importantly, I find the sound of the name unpleasant. The "aych" sound in particular is cacophonic and displeasing to one's ears. (The "ehl" ending isn't much better). It's unattractively harsh.

I don't like the sound of this name. It reminds me of rashes and itching.

My name is Rachel. I like the name Rachel by itself, but being Jewish, it is very common so I like using my middle name with it since it is pretty and not as common. A lot of friends will call me Rach or Rachie which I like as well. In Hebrew my name is pronounced Rochel. I am named after Rochel from the Torah and I admire her very much.

Rachel is one of my favorite names ever! It's classic and feminine without being frilly or prissy. It also has a timeless quality about it, and it seems to fit a wide variety of people.

It's okay, kind of boring.

I like the meaning more than the name itself. It's popular but it's still okay to have, there's still something nice about it, like kind of cheerful, spunky, and edgy.

My name is Rachel, but I don't like it. Every time I say my name I get this feeling of hate for it lol, don't know why. Especially when I say the "ch" part of Rachel. Just my opinion.

My name is Rachel, and I was born when it was pretty much at the height of its popularity, and under the zodiac of Aries. My parents named me this because they were reading the biography of Andrew Jackson whose wife's name was named Rachel. I never really liked my name until I read somewhere that as a Rachel my life would be "set to music" and even though Rachel is not a very musical or lyrical name, I found that statement to be very poetic and further endeared me to my name.

I love this classic name; it has a nice ring to it, feminine but not flowery or flouncy. And sheep don't have any negative connotations for me - rather the opposite. Far from silly or weak, wild sheep are pretty hardy creatures. Symbolically I tend to see them as nurturing, protective - primarily gentle, but there's nothing as fierce as a mother ewe protecting her lamb.

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All the same, I'd hesitate to name a daughter of mine after a random animal - I like to choose names that have deeper personal significance. I'd consider it if my daughter were born under the Zodiac sign Aries, or in the Chinese year of the Sheep.

My name is Rachel, and I happen to like the name quite a bit. I haven't met anyone close to my age with the same name (I'm 14). Usually the Rachels I've met are older than I am. I have a lot of nicknames, Rach, RayRay, Rachey, and occasionally Ray. I like my name a lot and I think it fits me well.

My name is Rachel. I think it's okay, but it's way too overused. I also don't like its English form. I've tried to get people to call me "Rachelle" or "Rae" but it never caught on. In my old school there were 200 kids, and 20 (yes, twenty!) girls and one boy were called Rachel. But for some reason, I've found that the farther west you live there are a lot less "Rachel"s.

No offense to any Rachels, but I think this name has too many harsh sounds in it.

This is my name, and I never actually saw it as that pretty until my boyfriend kept telling me how beautiful it is. Now I like it. I'm easily swayed, I know. =]

My name is Rachel and I love it. In primary school, there were only 3 Rachels in two classes of around 28 pupils. Now there's only 3 Rachels in seven classes of around 30 pupils. My full name is Rachel Elizabeth Ann, which is a bit predictable, but very very pretty, and carries on the legacy of my two unfortunately dead grannies. I get VERY annoyed when people say they hate my really beautiful name so beware! :-)

I think it's way overused. It's my name but I don't want my name to mean a "ewe." It seems almost demeaning to me.

The name Rachel has style. And I love the way it sounds. A lot of names end with 'ee' or 'uh' but this name doesn't which is a nice difference.

Personally, I quite like the name. It just has this nice feel to it; a friendly and gentle one.

I really don't like this name. It sounds harsh and choppy, not pretty at all. And it always reminds me of the mean snotty popular girl.

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I do though, think just Ray or Rei would be a cool name for a girl.

I hate the name too. Shameful it's a pretty good name. Too overused.

Nasty and cold sounding. Unlike other Biblical names such as Mary or Ruth, I don't find it dignified at all. It's cheap and common. If I had a dollar for every Rachel Elizabeth I've met, I'd be rich. *repeated yawns*

This name is nauseatingly common, and I'm not sure why it has been so popular all this time. It's really not that pretty. On the other hand, it doesn't sound too cutesy and infantile, and it certainly doesn't sound tacky and trashy like Makayla, Makenna, Nevaeh, Keisha, and the likes. It's a pretty safe name, and I've noticed that relatively sane and cool women have this name. It makes me think of good-looking and quite intelligent and cool people, but I don't really like the somewhat harsh sound of it.

My name's Rachel and I think it's a lovely name! I get called Rachypie, Rachelle, Rachii and Rach. I love the way it means 'lamb', as I was born in Spring - when lambs are leaping about.

My name's Rachel. And I really hate being called 'Rach'. It just really bothers me. But, I do very much like being named after a female sheep!

I've had this name for 28 years now. I've been teased in my life, but never for my name. As far as I know, there's no songs that feature it (ok, one obscure one by Steven Wright). It's hard to rhyme.

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My mother picked it because it was uncommon but not unheard of. It was a nice thought. I guess I'm lucky she didn't have access to a name trend website, or she'd have picked something else.

My name is Rachel and I used to absolutely hate it, but then I found out what it meant and now I love it (my favorite animal is sheep). My step-dad calls me Rachellie so occasionally I go by Ellie but most people would not think of this as nickname for the name Rachel. But I love both names.

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I also love the spelling Rachyl I think that this is a really cool way to play up an already great name. Rachyl is the kind of name that you can absolutely love or really really hate it.

My name is Rachel after my grandmother and while I like my name I think my mom chose the wrong sister to name Rachel. There are 10 Rachels in my class of roughly 400 and none in my sister's classes.

My name is actually Rachel and I love it. It gets, mainly, shortened to Rach or Rachie but I have friends who call me Rae, which I think in itself is a beautiful nickname.

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I can understand why people may not like the name from popular culture, as generally most Rachels are perceived as the rich kids who are stuck up etc.

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But I think it's a lovely name that's rather classic, despite its influence in modern culture a few years ago.

I'm a Rachel and I quite like it - it's not my favourite name ever but I think it'd be on the list even if it wasn't my name. I prefer my spelling and pronunciation to the others. It is a little overused, I know a couple of Rachels.

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On nicknames I have a friend who delights in calling me "Ray" in "chav-speak" (?!) and in Latin class I'm Rachillius but it's not a name that lends itself to this kind of thing. Since my middle name is Louise the most commonly used nickname is "Sheep Warrior!" from a conversation on name meanings since Louise means warrior. My parents kind of contradicted themselves there, I think it's funny. :)

I don't think this name is ugly at all. It is, in fact, pretty. My aunt's name is Rachel. I know some girls named Rachel. It is much better than Rachael or any other spellings!

It means "innocent", and I love this name even if it is common! It slowly grew on me after I named a character in my first (silly but sweet attempt at a) story. I don't like Rachelle because of the sound or Rachael because the spelling is too -- something. I love this name. : )

I'm Rachel Ann, and I love the name. People say that it is classic and timeless. It's feminine without being too frilly. My nickname is Rach or Rachel Annie. I've never gone by Rae.

The name Rachel reminds me of someone who'd be very snobbish. Maybe it's because I had a former supervisor by this name. Even the Rachel in the Bible was very spoiled and manipulative to the point God intervened on her sister Leah's behalf and blessed her with many children.

This is the name of a person who almost ruined my life. No offense to people who like this name, but it hurts my ears to hear it. Other than that, I don't really like the name very much. It sounds a bit snooty. Every girl I've known named Rachel has had a very distasteful personality.

A nice name, though I have a rather unpleasant association with it. I think I prefer the French pronunciation, but I like them both.

Imagining all of the girls with this incredibly popular name, I laughed very hard when finding out its meaning.

I like the name Rachel because it's pretty and common. My best friend is called Rachel and I've always preferred her name to mine.

I think it's an okay name. It's very common and popular as I know a lot of people named Rachel/Rachael.

My name is Rachel. I never really considered it unique because I knew 5 other girls my age with the same name when I was younger. I quite like it now, although most people call me Rae - which is a variant of the name. I think traditional names like this are good as they never really go 'out of fashion' as opposed to some names which can always be related to a specific time-frame/era.

My name is Rachel Arianne. When I was a kid I was bothered by my name because I had the impression that it would only suit young people. I couldn't imagine being old and still being called Rachel Arianne. Heh! But now that I'm older, I think it's a great name to have. It may sound common but I sure like the meaning of it! I love my nickname too which is "Rae". For me it's a unique and cool nickname for girls. Haven't met any girls with this nickname before.

I think this name is nice however you pronounce it be it Ray-chel Ra-shel or Ra-kel (Raquel) and the different spellings Rachael, Racheal, etc. But it is confusing seeing as we have 8 (yes that is right 8) Rachels in our school.

I have a friend named Rachel. I like this but thinks she would like a different name. At least she likes it a little.

My name is Rachel and I've always kind of liked it but not a whole lot.

I would've hated the name Rachel if it weren't for the Bible.

I myself was named Rachel, and always hated it as a child. But now I like it a lot better than the middle names they game me, as in Abigail Hansen. I can understand the Abigail part, but Hansen? I happen to like my first name, so bugger to you few people that don't.

I love the name Rachel! (Partially because I have it) I know that a ton of people have the name, but who wouldn't want to name their daughter Rachel? It is cute and sophisticated! When I was younger I hated the name from lack of originality but now that I'm older I love it. It reminds of royalty. It is so pretty. And whoever bears this name should be pretty like me. LOL jk!

This name always makes me think of "satchel".

I have this name and sometimes I wish I didn't have this name but when I put it with my middle name Renee I really love the sound of Rachel Renee.

Rachel is a beautiful elegant name for a girl. Definitely a 10 for me.

I only like the pronunciation Ray-chel. I think it is beautiful and classy and very historical. It is feminine without being frilly and even though it is rather common it is always going to be charming.

Pretty name and very feminine, but my younger sister has six classmates with this name! If you give your daughter this name in the next few years, she will be one of many in her class.

I like the name Rachel. I would use it but unfortunately it's in the Bible, and definitely no Bible names for my children.

My name is Rachel and I guess it's fine. I've found the name getting more popular now. When I was a child I never came across someone with the same spelling as mine, it was usually Rachael or Racheal. I got used to everyone spelling my name that way, friends, teachers, relatives, etc. I met a girl with the same name, but spelt Raychel which is unusal. I like the versions of the name with the letter Y in it.

Well I love my name, but have to admit that when I was younger I didn't really appreciate it. Now I love it and with my middle name it sounds like a queen's name, Rachel Elizabeth. Or should I say Queen Rachel Elizabeth. Everybody should name their daughter this! I also go by Ray Ray, not always but my family and my grandma called me Raquel. I loved that! Sweet name.

My name is Rachel and I have always absolutely loved my name. However, I was born in 1976, before the name became overly popular. In fact, when I was a young girl I only knew of two other Rachels. They were both over 50 years of age at the time. Now, there are a lot of young Rachels! Still, I love my name. :) Another thing: my mom always told me that she read that it means "innocent like a lamb."

My best friend is named Rachel. She doesn't really like her name but I do! I think it is a beautiful name, and I can't see why she doesn't like it!

I love the name Rachel. It is such a beautiful name. There is a girl at school named Rachel and I just love her. She is so beautiful.

I don't like the fact that many people tend to just assume it is pronounced ray-chel. My friend's name is Rachel but she pronounces it ra-shell like Rachelle. She used to get very annoyed at people who mispronounced her name.

My name is Rachel. I think it is fairly common. But I'd rather this spelling than Rachael or Rachelle or some other one. I'm named after Rachel Ward from her performance in Thornbirds. Rachel Marie - I like my name.

My name is Rachel and I don't really like it, I prefer Rachelle. But if it wasn't my name I probably would like it. My full name is Rachel Louise, I think that is pretty.

Nice name. There is something very wholesome and peaceful about it. Very sweet!

My name is Rachel, and someone once told me that when they say it, it sounds like the anme should be a queen, they said it sounds very powerful and royal. I don't really like my own name but I must say that I do like hearing those sorts of things about it. It would fit in if it did mean royal or regal or something though with my family. We have Ryan (little king), Richard (powerful fuler) and Rachel, which means ewe but if you use what that person said about the name then all of our names mean something having to do with power and royalty, it makes me like my name a little more.

I think that Rachel is one of the most beautiful names. I love the sound of it. It is perfect.

I just love this name. It is elegant and classy.

This is a pretty name, but I cannot get past the pop-culture reference (and I have never even *seen* Friends). It's too bad, because an otherwise lovely name has become overly saturated with popular media influence for me.

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I have no bad impression of people named Rachel; I just couldn't name my own daughter that (above mentioned reason).

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I also like the alternate spelling: Rachael. In fact, I think I may prefer it. Rae is a very pretty nickname, though I don't know if many Rachels refer to themselves by the shortened moniker.

I never really liked this name. It looks rather masculine with the el, and sounds like rage hell.

My name is a take on Rachel. Its spelled Raechel and pronounced in a French manner. Ray-shell. I used to hate it, but now I love my unique name. I wish I knew another person who spells and pronounces it the same way!

My name is Rachel but I believe it's just an average name.

Just an ugly name.

You think the name Rachel is ugly? It is not ugly. Rachel is a pretty name, so there.

I positively love this name! It's so old, but so modern. If I ever have a girl, her name will be Rachel Anne.

My sister's name is Rachel. I think it is a beautiful name! My mom got the name from the bible.