Rafiq
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- rah-FEEK
- Origin
- Arabic
Rafiq is a boys' name of Arabic origin, meaning “companion, kind friend”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Rafiq mean?
Arabic
“companion, kind friend”
Rafiq Hariri was a Lebanese prime minister assassinated in Beirut in 2005.
Is Rafiq a girl's or a boy's name?
Rafiq is a boys' name.
How popular is Rafiq in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2011, with 8 boys.
Half of all the boys named Rafiq in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2013. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Rafiq in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 | #5,017 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 6 | #3,108 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 3 | #5,015 |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 4 | #4,063 |
| 2013 | 5 | #3,466 |
| 2012 | 5 | #3,572 |
| 2011 | 8 | #2,503 |
| 2010 | 5 | #3,478 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 3 | #4,615 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 5 | #3,013 |
| 2005 | 5 | #2,885 |
| 2004 | 3 | #3,792 |
| 2003 | 3 | #3,593 |
| 2002 | 3 | #3,325 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 3 | #3,043 |
| 1998 | 6 | #1,932 |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 7 | #1,652 |
How popular is Rafiq in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1995, with 19 boys. It first appears in the records in 1975.
Half of all the boys named Rafiq in the US since 1880 were born between 1988 and 2009, the years shaded on the chart below.
Rafiq in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | #8,982 |
| 2023 | 6 | #10,815 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 12 | #6,693 |
| 2020 | 5 | #12,016 |
| 2019 | 6 | #10,797 |
| 2018 | 14 | #6,032 |
| 2017 | 6 | #10,770 |
| 2016 | 7 | #9,659 |
| 2015 | 8 | #8,739 |
| 2014 | 5 | #12,102 |
| 2013 | 5 | #12,129 |
| 2012 | 7 | #9,703 |
| 2011 | 5 | #12,280 |
| 2010 | 5 | #12,224 |
| 2009 | 11 | #7,231 |
| 2008 | 9 | #8,319 |
| 2007 | 9 | #8,169 |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 5 | #11,464 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 7 | #8,636 |
| 2002 | 19 | #4,182 |
| 2001 | 11 | #6,006 |
| 2000 | 9 | #6,832 |
| 1999 | 15 | #4,531 |
| 1998 | 12 | #5,153 |
| 1997 | 12 | #4,954 |
| 1996 | 11 | #5,180 |
| 1995 | 19 | #3,426 |
| 1994 | 13 | #4,531 |
| 1993 | 12 | #4,690 |
| 1992 | 15 | #3,912 |
| 1991 | 8 | #5,934 |
| 1990 | 6 | #7,171 |
| 1989 | 5 | #7,898 |
| 1988 | 9 | #4,781 |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 9 | #4,328 |
| 1984 | 9 | #4,212 |
| 1983 | 10 | #3,882 |
| 1982 | 11 | #3,690 |
| 1981 | 6 | #5,466 |
| 1980 | 7 | #4,938 |
| 1979 | 12 | #3,356 |
| 1978 | 8 | #4,155 |
| 1977 | 7 | #4,580 |
| 1976 | 12 | #3,093 |
| 1975 | 5 | #5,462 |
Names like Rafiq
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Muhammad, Ahmed, Hamza, Abdullah, Raheem, Mustafa, Umar, Musa, Fahad, Zayd, Khalid, Saif
More Arabic names
Layla, Mohammed, Lyla, Mohammad, Zara, Aaliyah, Amir, Amira, Fatima, Ali, Yahya, Zayn, Aisha, Omar, Zahra, Kairo
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Rafiq: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/rafiq, updated 20 October 2026.