Rafe
About Rafe
A top ranking choice in England and Wales, making frequent appearances on the Telegraph Announcments, Rafe feels equal parts rugged, amiable, and posh. Traditionally seen used a variant of Ralph (itself from the Old Norse Ráðúlfr), it came into use in the 17th century to reflect this particular pronunciation.
Appearing in the UK Top 250, it could also work as a short form of Rafferty or Rafael.
Pronounced RAYF.
As of October 2026, Rafe ranked #1165 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #887 in 1880, Nameberry popularity #437.
Editor's take: The name Rafe is a boy's name of English origin meaning "wolf-counsel".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,650 | 94 | 48.9 |
| 2015 | #1,814 | 83 | 43.3 |
| 2016 | #1,770 | 87 | 45.8 |
| 2017 | #1,775 | 87 | 47 |
| 2018 | #2,253 | 61 | 33.6 |
| 2019 | #2,058 | 71 | 39.6 |
| 2020 | #2,040 | 70 | 40.6 |
| 2021 | #1,759 | 92 | 52.6 |
| 2022 | #1,475 | 123 | 70.4 |
| 2023 | #1,454 | 125 | 73.1 |
| 2024 | #1,315 | 148 | 85.9 |
| 2025 | #1,165 | 179 | 104.8 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Rafe.
- Lyle
- Finneas
- Vaughn
- Calloway
- Finnick
- Fraser
- Monroe
- Juno
- Thaddeus
- Marlowe
- Linden
- Griffith
- Lev
- Ames
- Joash
- Dashiell
- Lowell
- Ellington
- Mercer
- Ira
Rafe on lists
Famous Rafes
- Ralph Nathaniel "Rafe" Fiennes
English actor
- Rafe Joseph Spall
English actor
- Rafe Custance
New Zealand actor
- Rafe Furst
American entrepreneur
- Rafe Gomez
American music producer
- Rafe Judkins
American reality TV personality ("Survivor") and TV writer
- Rafe Mair
Canadian lawyer and political commentator
- Rafe Needleman
American journalist, editor and author
- Rafe Stefanini
Italian folk musician
- Rafe VanHoy
American songwriter
- Rafe Raccini Wolfe
Jamaican footballer
- Raphe Beck
son of American TV personality and author Glenn Beck
Rafe in pop culture
- Rafe Adler
character from the "Uncharted" game series
- Rafael "Rafe" Covington
character in book/movie "Crossfire Trail"
- Rafe Deed
character in movie "Edison"
- Capt. Rafe McCawley
main character in movie "Pearl Harbor"
- Rafe Hernandez
character on American soap "Days of our Lives"
- Seamus Rafael "Rafe" Goldberg
main character in "Openly Straight" by Bill Konigsberg
- Rafe
character from John Stephens' fantasy book series "The Books of Beginning"
- Rafe Khatchadorian
character in the book and film "Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life"
- Rafe Cameron
character in TV show "Outer Banks"
- Jaxon Tyrus Rafferty "Rafe"
Character in Mary E. Pearson's Remnant Chronicles