Rafe
Boy · RAYF · Old Norse
Rafe is a boys' name of Old Norse origin, meaning “counsel wolf”. In 2025 it ranked 213th for boys in the UK (267 babies) and 1,165th for boys in the US (179 babies).
What does Rafe mean?
Old Norse: spelling of Ralph
“counsel wolf”
A spelling reflecting the traditional British pronunciation of Ralph, from Norse Radulfr.
- Say it
- RAYF
More on Wiktionary.
Is Rafe a girl's or a boy's name?
Rafe is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 267 boys in the UK and 179 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Rafe in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #213among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 267about 1 in 1,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 56% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.2%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 267 boys in the UK were named Rafe, making it the 213th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 292nd.
2025 had the most boys named Rafe of any year since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Rafe in the UK since 1996 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 356 boys in the UK were given Rafe or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #178, up from #213 for this spelling alone.
- Rafe 267
- Raife 89
Among boys in 2025, it was 201st in England and Wales and 298th in Scotland.
Rafe in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 267 | #213 |
| 2024 | 209 | #254 |
| 2023 | 220 | #242 |
| 2022 | 254 | #221 |
| 2021 | 253 | #226 |
| 2020 | 180 | #292 |
| 2019 | 123 | #397 |
| 2018 | 142 | #359 |
| 2017 | 164 | #338 |
| 2016 | 169 | #325 |
| 2015 | 177 | #308 |
| 2014 | 114 | #406 |
| 2013 | 127 | #366 |
| 2012 | 81 | #521 |
| 2011 | 62 | #617 |
| 2010 | 58 | #632 |
| 2009 | 50 | #698 |
| 2008 | 44 | #744 |
| 2007 | 39 | #779 |
| 2006 | 48 | #652 |
| 2005 | 26 | #944 |
| 2004 | 37 | #710 |
| 2003 | 35 | #686 |
| 2002 | 24 | #846 |
| 2001 | 14 | #1,149 |
| 2000 | 16 | #1,021 |
| 1999 | 8 | #1,582 |
| 1998 | 12 | #1,180 |
| 1997 | 11 | #1,241 |
| 1996 | 14 | #1,021 |
How popular is Rafe in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,165among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 179about 1 in 9,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising fastup 124% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 179 boys in the US were named Rafe, making it the 1,165th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,024th.
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 5 years. 2025 had the most boys named Rafe of any year since the records began in 1880.
Half of all the boys named Rafe in the US since 1880 were born between 1995 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 231 boys in the US were given Rafe or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #912, up from #1,165 for this spelling alone.
- Rafe 179
- Raife 52
Rafe in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 179 | #1,165 |
| 2024 | 149 | #1,308 |
| 2023 | 125 | #1,449 |
| 2022 | 123 | #1,468 |
| 2021 | 92 | #1,750 |
| 2020 | 70 | #2,024 |
| 2019 | 71 | #2,041 |
| 2018 | 61 | #2,229 |
| 2017 | 87 | #1,768 |
| 2016 | 87 | #1,763 |
| 2015 | 83 | #1,804 |
| 2014 | 94 | #1,641 |
| 2013 | 78 | #1,826 |
| 2012 | 76 | #1,890 |
| 2011 | 80 | #1,794 |
| 2010 | 66 | #2,056 |
| 2009 | 94 | #1,664 |
| 2008 | 48 | #2,582 |
| 2007 | 64 | #2,117 |
| 2006 | 56 | #2,247 |
| 2005 | 63 | #1,979 |
| 2004 | 54 | #2,160 |
| 2003 | 92 | #1,428 |
| 2002 | 99 | #1,329 |
| 2001 | 41 | #2,382 |
| 2000 | 14 | #5,034 |
| 1999 | 12 | #5,311 |
| 1998 | 14 | #4,645 |
| 1997 | 13 | #4,663 |
| 1996 | 11 | #5,180 |
| 1995 | 10 | #5,495 |
| 1994 | 16 | #3,905 |
| 1993 | 20 | #3,240 |
| 1992 | 23 | #2,903 |
| 1991 | 13 | #4,223 |
| 1990 | 22 | #2,859 |
| 1989 | 16 | #3,440 |
| 1988 | 17 | #3,074 |
| 1987 | 20 | #2,637 |
| 1986 | 17 | #2,888 |
| 1985 | 17 | #2,825 |
| 1984 | 15 | #2,955 |
| 1983 | 9 | #4,139 |
| 1982 | 25 | #2,110 |
| 1981 | 19 | #2,495 |
| 1980 | 5 | #6,248 |
| 1979 | 8 | #4,401 |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 13 | #3,036 |
| 1976 | 12 | #3,093 |
| 1975 | 11 | #3,244 |
| 1974 | 15 | #2,547 |
| 1973 | 20 | #2,035 |
| 1972 | 13 | #2,658 |
| 1971 | 10 | #3,144 |
| 1970 | 20 | #1,988 |
| 1969 | 15 | #2,216 |
| 1968 | 21 | #1,730 |
| 1967 | 24 | #1,572 |
| 1966 | 20 | #1,722 |
| 1965 | 20 | #1,773 |
| 1964 | 10 | #2,664 |
| 1963 | 12 | #2,413 |
| 1962 | 17 | #1,961 |
| 1961 | 18 | #1,947 |
| 1960 | 17 | #1,972 |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 5 | #3,942 |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 5 | #3,940 |
| 1955 | 6 | #3,503 |
| 1954 | 5 | #3,825 |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 6 | #3,370 |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 9 | #2,579 |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 5 | #3,665 |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 6 | #3,171 |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 7 | #2,962 |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 5 | #3,548 |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 7 | #3,003 |
| 1932 | 6 | #3,360 |
| 1931 | 5 | #3,761 |
| 1930 | 7 | #3,287 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 5 | #4,149 |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 5 | #4,199 |
| 1925 | 8 | #3,153 |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 9 | #2,948 |
| 1922 | 7 | #3,530 |
| 1921 | 6 | #3,867 |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 7 | #3,390 |
| 1918 | 9 | #2,881 |
| 1917 | 6 | #3,543 |
| 1916 | 6 | #3,515 |
| 1915 | 5 | #3,824 |
| 1914 | 5 | #3,263 |
| 1913 | 0 | – |
| 1912 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 6 | #953 |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 0 | – |
| 1891 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 0 | – |
| 1887 | 0 | – |
| 1886 | 0 | – |
| 1885 | 0 | – |
| 1884 | 0 | – |
| 1883 | 0 | – |
| 1882 | 5 | #942 |
| 1881 | 0 | – |
| 1880 | 6 | #809 |
Names like Rafe
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Rome Jude Blake Remy Cole Jax Enzo Asher Tate Grayson Hudson Rowan
Other spellings of Rafe
Names related to Rafe
More Old Norse names
Freya Ronnie Ralph Eric Astrid Colby Odin Ralphie Erik Freyja Erick Bo Ronald Bjorn Erica Ivar