Rafiah
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- rah-FEE-ah
- Origin
- Arabic
Rafiah is a girls' name of Arabic origin, meaning “high, exalted”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Rafiah mean?
Arabic: spelling of Rafia; feminine of rafi, 'high, exalted'
“high, exalted”
Feminine form of the Arabic adjective rafi, used for something lofty or of high standing.
Meaning borrowed from Rafia.
Is Rafiah a girl's or a boy's name?
Rafiah is a girls' name.
How popular is Rafiah in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1999, with 9 girls.
Rafiah in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | #7,582 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 4 | #4,744 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 3 | #5,998 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 1 | #7,690 |
| 2012 | 5 | #4,390 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 3 | #5,938 |
| 2009 | 3 | #5,801 |
| 2008 | 3 | #5,772 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 3 | #5,259 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 7 | #2,436 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 9 | #1,921 |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 3 | #3,935 |
Names like Rafiah
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ruqayyah, Farah, Umaymah, Umamah, Rufaidah, Aakifah, Aafiyah, Hibah, Habiba, Safia, Azeemah, Sumayyah
Names related to Rafiah
More Arabic names
Muhammad, Layla, Mohammed, Lyla, Mohammad, Zara, Aaliyah, Amir, Amira, Fatima, Ali, Yahya, Zayn, Aisha, Omar, Zahra
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Rafiah: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/rafiah, updated 20 October 2026.