Rauhel

Rauhel is a Latin form of the biblical Hebrew name Reuel, which appears in the Old Testament. The name Reuel means "friend of God," derived from the Hebrew elements reaʿ (friend) and ʾel (God). In the Bible, Reuel is another name for Jethro, the Midianite priest who gave refuge to Moses after he fled Egypt and later became Moses's father-in-law.

Biblical Context

In the Exodus narrative, Jethro (also called Reuel) is introduced as a priest of Midian who welcomes Moses and eventually gives him his daughter Zipporah in marriage (Exodus 2:15-21). The name Jethro likely derives from the Hebrew word yeṯer, meaning "abundance." The Septuagint occasionally renders the appearance of this figure's name as Rhagouel (equivalent to Reuel), while Jerome's Vulgate—the Latin translation of the Bible—uses the form Rauhel in certain passages of the Old Testament. This variant adopted by the Latin Church later influenced medieval usage among Christian communities reading the Vulgate.

Linguistic Variants and Cultural Spread

The chain of forms includes Rauhel, Raguhel (another variant appearing in Latin manuscripts), and Raguel appearing in some extra-biblical texts such as the apocalyptic Jewish tradition, where the archangel Raguel is associated with divine friendship. The Greek Septuagint employs Rhagouel. Owing to its biblical appearance and pleasing etymology ("friend of God"), the name Reuel itself gained limited use among Christians and as a middle name in literary figures. The most famous bearer of Reuel is John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, whose middle name derived from his father's familial tradition. By contrast, Rauhel remains a relatively rare transcription-rendering that is confined primarily to comparative Bible studies or historical scholarship concerning Latin biblical onomastics.

• Meaning: Latin form of Reuel, which means “friend of God” in Hebrew.
• Origin: Attested in the Vulgate (Latin translation of the Old Testament) as a variation of Reuel / Jethro.
• Type: Latin biblical first name.
• Usage: Latin Bible (Vulgate); very rare outside that context.
• Key forms: Raguhel (Latin variant), Raguel (legendary archangel), Rhagouel (Greek Septuagint).