Rafe is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Rafe means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Rafe across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Rafe has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Rafe is a boy name of Old Norse origin meaning “wolf counsel”. A short form of Ralph.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 2,935 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 2,640 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 75 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 3 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Rafe per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 2025 (255/yr) · United States peaked in 2025 (179/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (12/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2022 (3/yr).
Rafe is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #2,387 nationally (given to 446 babies that year).
Ravi · Raife · Raffi · Rufe · Raef · Rafi · Refa · Raffie
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