Rafferty
2025 SSA
About Rafferty
Jaunty and dapper, Rafferty is one of the most engaging of the Irish surnames, used by Jude Law and Sadie Frost for their son in 1996. Derived from the Irish, O'Raighbheartaigh, it means "(spring) flood tide", though some sources relate it to the Old Irish rath meaning "abundance" and "prosperity."
Preppy and energetic but earthy too, it also comes with cool nicknames Raffy, Rafe, and Raffa. A rare choice in the US, it has been appearing in the England and Wales Top 1000 since 2003 and has more recently appeared in the Top 250.
Pronounced RAF-er-tee.
As of October 2026, Rafferty ranked #6360 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #5182 in 2024, Nameberry popularity #317.
Popularity & trends
World rankings
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Rafferty on lists
Famous Raffertys
- Rafferty Law (b. 1999)
son of actors Jude Law and Sadie Frost
- Rafferty Casey
son of actor Daniel Casey
- Rafferty Jack McManus (b. 2015)
son of actors/singers Martine McCutcheon and Jack McManus
- Dylan Rafferty Brown (b. 2003)
son of actor Ryan Brown
- Ronan Rafferty
Irish golfer
- Gerry Rafferty
Scottish singer/songwriter
- Sarah Rafferty (b. 1972)
American actor
Rafferty in pop culture
- Rafferty Dickinson
character in Madeleine L'Engle's novel Camilla
- Rafferty
main character in "Rafferty Rides a Winner" by Joan Woodberry
- Rafferty
assassin in Malibu Comics' Ultraverse
- "Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins
" 1975 film about Sgt. Gunny Rafferty
- "Rafferty's Rules
" Australian TV series about Judge Michael Rafferty
- "Rafferty
" 1980 Soviet film about trade unionist Jack Rafferty
- "Rafferty
" TV series about Dr. Sid Rafferty
- Zach Rafferty
a character in Penelope Williamson's novel Heart of the West