Raphaels

Raphaels is the plural form of the given name Raphael and its variants. The name derives from a Hebrew form meaning "God heals" and has appeared in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim contexts. Variants include Raphaël (French), Rafael (Spanish/Portuguese), Raffaello (Italian), and Rafail (Slavic).

In English, Raphaels is used in biographical lists or genealogies to refer collectively to people named Raphael. As a given name, it has enjoyed broad usage since the Middle Ages and across many European cultures, often associated with religious imagery and saints.

The most famous bearer in art history is the Renaissance painter known in English as Raphael, or Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, whose works helped define High Renaissance ideals. Because Raphaels refers to multiple persons, the term is more common in encyclopedic or scholarly contexts than in everyday speech.

In popular culture, the given name has appeared for various fictional characters and real persons, sometimes with the accent variants (Raphaël, Rafael). The plural form is used primarily to discuss naming practices, historical records, or biographical compilations rather than as a distinct subject of its own.

See also Raphael (given name) and list of people named Raphael.