While it is true that many of Havana’s streets assumed their names taking that of some element or fact that had a certain relationship with the place, this was not a norm. Thus cases such as Lightning can be found, by a lightning bolt that caused a fire in it; Star, for a bluff that had that shape, or Indian by an Indian from Campeche who had a business in one of his corners.
In the case of those related to the Catholic Church there were multiple reasons, but one of the most common were the devotions of the Habaneros to some saint, an issue that showed the catholicity that our population lived, as is the case of St. Raphael, by St Raphael Archangel. According to José María de la Torre, it was a name arbitrarily placed – for no express reason – by the commissioners for the delineation of this street, he had previously been called Los Amigos, after the Monserrate, because he led to the door of the wall and, later, that of the Presidio, because in the place where the theater of Tacón was later manufactured there was a correctional.
According to Roig, by agreement number 114, of May 18, 1921, approved on the 25th, the name was varied by that of General Carrillo, in honor of the veteran general Francisco Carrillo, who died on May 11, 1926, but soon after was determined to restore the name of San Rafael out of respect for the popular will to keep the name of the Catholic saint.
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