Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Rafi

Meaning Rafi is a male given name of Armenian and Arabic origin Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #2,923 Trend ↑ Rising 46%

Rafi is a male given name of Armenian and Arabic origin.

Rank 2025
#2,923
among boys · ↑280 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
43
named Rafi · +13% vs 2024
How common
1 in 39,723
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
43 babies
All-time total
739
#6,232 all-time among boys
First recorded
1974
in Social Security records

Rafi popularity over time

739 babies have been named Rafi since 1974, 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
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – 46 46 5 – #3,653
1980s – 74 74 7 +61% #3,636
1990s – 101 101 10 +36% #3,810
2000s – 149 149 15 +48% #4,609
2010s – 182 182 18 +22% #4,317
2020s (to 2025) 5 182 187 31 +71% #2,923

Where Rafi 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 46 0.03 outside top 500
2027 49 0.03 outside top 500
2028 52 0.03 outside top 500
2029 54 0.03 outside top 500
2030 56 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Rafi

Rafi is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,923 in 2025 with 43 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1974, 739 American babies have been named Rafi. Its peak came in 2025, when 43 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 Rafi stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rafi?

The median living Rafi is about 15 years old; half are between 5 and 28. An estimated 700 people named Rafi are alive in the United States today.

median 15 020406080100

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

Rafi year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 43 #2,923
2024 – – 38 #3,203
2023 – – 23 #4,579
2022 – – 29 #3,848
2021 – – 23 #4,459
2020 5 #16,985 26 #3,998
2019 – – 23 #4,444
2018 – – 24 #4,317
2017 – – 22 #4,560
2016 – – 15 #5,985
2015 – – 18 #5,232
2014 – – 23 #4,364
2013 – – 11 #7,435
2012 – – 19 #5,001
2011 – – 13 #6,502
2010 – – 14 #6,295
2009 – – 17 #5,490
2008 – – 19 #5,018
2007 – – 21 #4,609
2006 – – 18 #5,018
2005 – – 13 #6,139
2004 – – 15 #5,429
2003 – – 17 #4,761
2002 – – 14 #5,330
2001 – – 9 #7,374
2000 – – 6 #10,033
1995 – – 17 #3,810
1990 – – 10 #5,292
1985 – – 5 #7,333
1980 – – 8 #4,840
1975 – – 6 #5,297
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Rafi

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

  1. 1 Rafi Gavron Rafi Gavron British actor b. 1989 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Rafi ud-Darajat Rafi ud-Darajat Mughal emperor in 1719 1699–1719 · 17th century
  3. 3 Rafi Eitan Rafi Eitan Israeli politician and intelligence officer (1926–2019) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Rafi?

The median living Rafi is about 15 years old. Half of all living Rafis are between 5 and 28 years old.

How many people named Rafi are alive today?

An estimated 700 people named Rafi are alive in the United States, based on 739 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Rafi mean?

Rafi is a male given name of Armenian and Arabic origin.

How popular is the name Rafi in 2025?

Rafi ranked #2,923 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 43 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rafi?

739 babies have been named Rafi in the United States since 1974, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rafi most popular?

Rafi peaked in 2025, when 43 newborns received the name.

Is Rafi a boy or girl name?

Rafi is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Rafi rising or falling?

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

Will Rafi become more popular?

Rafi is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 56 boys named Rafi 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 Rafi?

Well-known people named Rafi include Rafi Gavron (actor), Rafi ud-Darajat (politician), Rafi Eitan (politician).

Names like Rafi

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

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