Rachel: I picked this up as my English name because of the American TV show "Friends." One of the characters in this soap opera is called Rachel. She is a very charming girl who is very open-minded. I hope one day I can be a charming girl just like her.

Dear Rachel: This name comes from the Hebrew word meaning "ewe," or "female sheep." This is not to say that you are actually called a sheep if you use the name - most English speakers do not know that this is the meaning of "Rachel." In Jewish scripture¹, Rachel was the beautiful wife of Jacob. Most English speakers name their children according to their associations with names rather than meanings,nd they do just as you have done - they name a child after someone they like! Other forms of "Rachel" are "Raquel" and "Rachele." Nicknames could be "Rae" or "Shelley."