Rafferty
Boy · RAF-er-tee · Irish
Rafferty is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “prosperity wielder”. In 2025 it ranked 211th for boys in the UK (269 babies) and 6,140th for boys in the US (14 babies).
What does Rafferty mean?
Irish: from the surname Ó Raithbheartaigh
“prosperity wielder”
From the Irish surname Ó Raithbheartaigh, descendant of Raithbheartach.
- Say it
- RAF-er-tee
Is Rafferty a girl's or a boy's name?
Rafferty is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 269 boys in the UK and 14 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Rafferty in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #211among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 269about 1 in 1,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 47% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.2%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 269 boys in the UK were named Rafferty, making it the 211th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 277th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 301 boys.
Half of all the boys named Rafferty in the UK since 1996 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 193rd in England and Wales and 441st in Scotland.
Rafferty in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 269 | #211 |
| 2024 | 231 | #235 |
| 2023 | 301 | #190 |
| 2022 | 292 | #198 |
| 2021 | 260 | #223 |
| 2020 | 186 | #277 |
| 2019 | 175 | #313 |
| 2018 | 184 | #301 |
| 2017 | 190 | #301 |
| 2016 | 183 | #310 |
| 2015 | 167 | #318 |
| 2014 | 114 | #406 |
| 2013 | 109 | #428 |
| 2012 | 133 | #367 |
| 2011 | 106 | #412 |
| 2010 | 97 | #438 |
| 2009 | 58 | #622 |
| 2008 | 68 | #554 |
| 2007 | 47 | #676 |
| 2006 | 43 | #695 |
| 2005 | 35 | #778 |
| 2004 | 35 | #737 |
| 2003 | 22 | #953 |
| 2002 | 13 | #1,252 |
| 2001 | 10 | #1,458 |
| 2000 | 4 | #2,612 |
How popular is Rafferty in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #6,140among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 14about 1 in 120,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 67% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 14 boys in the US were named Rafferty, making it the 6,140th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 5,695th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 19 boys. It first appears in the records in 1987.
Half of all the boys named Rafferty in the US since 1880 were born between 2008 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Rafferty in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | #6,140 |
| 2024 | 19 | #5,063 |
| 2023 | 17 | #5,465 |
| 2022 | 11 | #7,256 |
| 2021 | 18 | #5,105 |
| 2020 | 15 | #5,695 |
| 2019 | 9 | #8,209 |
| 2018 | 6 | #10,754 |
| 2017 | 10 | #7,542 |
| 2016 | 10 | #7,600 |
| 2015 | 12 | #6,671 |
| 2014 | 11 | #7,043 |
| 2013 | 12 | #6,598 |
| 2012 | 6 | #10,763 |
| 2011 | 12 | #6,572 |
| 2010 | 10 | #7,585 |
| 2009 | 11 | #7,231 |
| 2008 | 13 | #6,388 |
| 2007 | 10 | #7,586 |
| 2006 | 13 | #6,090 |
| 2005 | 13 | #5,869 |
| 2004 | 6 | #9,941 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 5 | #10,660 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 5 | #9,623 |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 5 | #8,426 |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 5 | #7,898 |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 5 | #6,945 |
Nicknames for Rafferty
- Raff 5 boys in the UK in 2025
- Rafe 267 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Rafferty
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Remy Cillian Marley Rowan Matteo Ozzy Jenson Enzo Jax Rio Jaxon Archer
More Irish names
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