The first name Rafe
A boy’s name.
Pronounced /ɹeɪf/ 1 syllable Male
Meaning and origin
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 255 boys were named Rafe, making it the 201st most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Rafe with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Rafe at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 179 boys born in the United States were named Rafe, the 1,165th most popular boys’ name that year.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Rafe in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Rafa
Famous people named Rafe
3 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Rafe SpallEnglish actor (born 1983)
- Rafe de CrespignyAustralian sinologist and historian (born 1936)
- Jack FlahertyAmerican baseball player (born 1995)
Questions
- What does the name Rafe mean?
- Medieval spelling variant of Ralph.
- How popular is the name Rafe?
- In 2025, 255 boys born in England and Wales were named Rafe, ranking 201st.
- Is Rafe a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 2,935 US babies named Rafe since 1880 were boys.
- When was Rafe most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 179 babies were named Rafe, its highest rank at 1,165th.
- How do you pronounce Rafe?
- Rafe is /ɹeɪf/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Rafe?
- Rafa.