Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Rafe

Meaning Medieval spelling variant of Ralph Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,165 Trend ↑ Rising 130%

Medieval spelling variant of Ralph.

Rank 2025
#1,165
among boys · ↑147 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
179
named Rafe · +20% vs 2024
How common
1 in 9,542
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
179 babies
All-time total
2,935
#2,574 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Rafe popularity over time

2,935 babies have been named Rafe since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2025Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 11 1 – #887
1890s 6 1 -45% #1,054
1900s – – – –
1910s 38 4 – #3,051
1920s 40 4 +5% #3,120
1930s 30 3 -25% #3,216
1940s 18 2 -40% #3,170
1950s 36 4 +100% #2,728
1960s 174 17 +383% #1,598
1970s 122 12 -30% #2,042
1980s 160 16 +31% #2,152
1990s 154 15 -4% #2,938
2000s 625 63 +306% #1,341
2010s 783 78 +25% #1,650
2020s (to 2025) 738 123 +57% #1,165

Where Rafe is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 206 0.12 outside top 500
2027 232 0.14 outside top 500
2028 257 0.15 outside top 500
2029 281 0.16 outside top 500
2030 302 0.18 outside top 500

Where Rafe is most popular

Boys named Rafe per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.077 per 1,000. Strongest in Utah, Louisiana, and Idaho.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Rafe born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Utah 44 0.461 +496%
Louisiana 22 0.215 +178%
Idaho 5 0.122 +58%
Missouri 15 0.108 +40%
Tennessee 17 0.094 +22%
Minnesota 11 0.090 +16%
Mississippi 5 0.088 +14%
Florida 37 0.078 ≈ national
Iowa 5 0.073 -6%
Indiana 11 0.069 -11%
Texas 49 0.056 -28%
South Carolina 5 0.048 -37%
Colorado 6 0.046 -40%
California 41 0.045 -42%
North Carolina 11 0.043 -44%
Ohio 11 0.042 -46%
Virginia 7 0.037 -52%
New York 12 0.028 -64%
Michigan 5 0.024 -68%
Georgia 5 0.020 -74%
Pennsylvania 5 0.019 -76%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Illinois – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Rafe

Rafe is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,165 in 2025 with 179 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 2,935 American babies have been named Rafe. Its peak came in 2025, when 179 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Rafe stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rafe?

The median living Rafe is about 13 years old; half are between 5 and 23. An estimated 2,700 people named Rafe are alive in the United States today.

median 13 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Rafe year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 179 #1,165
2024 149 #1,312
2023 125 #1,455
2022 123 #1,475
2021 92 #1,759
2020 70 #2,042
2019 71 #2,059
2018 61 #2,253
2017 87 #1,775
2016 87 #1,771
2015 83 #1,814
2014 94 #1,650
2013 78 #1,846
2012 76 #1,904
2011 80 #1,806
2010 66 #2,063
2009 94 #1,684
2008 48 #2,619
2007 64 #2,133
2006 56 #2,274
2005 63 #2,001
2004 54 #2,186
2003 92 #1,435
2002 99 #1,341
2001 41 #2,415
2000 14 #5,254
1995 10 #5,816
1990 22 #2,938
1985 17 #2,916
1980 5 #7,037
1975 11 #3,385
1970 20 #2,042
1965 20 #1,801
1960 17 #2,022
1955 6 #3,796
1950 9 #2,728
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 7 #3,521
1925 8 #3,333
1920 – –
1915 5 #4,275
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 6 #887

Famous people named Rafe

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Rafe Spall Rafe Spall British actor (born 1983) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Rafe, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Rafe?

The median living Rafe is about 13 years old. Half of all living Rafes are between 5 and 23 years old.

How many people named Rafe are alive today?

An estimated 2,700 people named Rafe are alive in the United States, based on 2,935 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Rafe mean?

Medieval spelling variant of Ralph.

How popular is the name Rafe in 2025?

Rafe ranked #1,165 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 179 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rafe?

2,935 babies have been named Rafe in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rafe most popular?

Rafe peaked in 2025, when 179 newborns received the name.

Is Rafe a boy or girl name?

Rafe is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Rafe rising or falling?

Rafe is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Rafe become more popular?

Rafe is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 302 boys named Rafe in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Rafe?

Well-known people named Rafe include Rafe Spall (actor).

Names like Rafe

Names that sound and feel close to Rafe: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Rafe with similar names → More names starting with R →