If you love American sitcom TV shows, you are likely familiar with one of the most well-known sitcoms of all time: Friends.
Whether or not you watch every single episode of the show, you are probably familiar with one of the main women on the show, Rachel Green.
That may get you thinking – what does the name Rachel mean? Who are some people in real life that share that same name?
Rachel is typically a girl’s name, and it comes from a Hebrew word meaning “ewe”, or a female sheep. Rachel is mentioned in the Bible in the Old Testament, and she was the second wife of Jacob.
The name Rachel is English, but has versions in over 10 other languages including French and Spanish, though these variations have different pronunciations and may be variations in English as well.
Some common nicknames for women and girls named Rachel include “Rach” or simply “R”. Others may prefer to be known as “Ray”.
Famous people with the name Rachel
- Rachel Carson: an American author, biologist, and conservationist who is most well known for writing the book Silent Spring, a key book that propelled the environmentalism movement in the mid-1990s
- Rachel McAdams: a Canadian actress, well known for her acting in films such as Mean Girls, The Notebook, Spotlight, and Midnight in Paris
- Rachel Bilson: an American actress, known for TV shows including Gossip Girl, That ‘70s Show, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Rachel Maddow: an American TV news reporter, known for her news and opinion show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNCB
- Rachel Ray: an American celebrity cook, known for her various how-to cooking shows and appearances on food-related shows and events
