Rafe: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “wolf counsel”
- Origin
- English
- Say it
- RAYF · 1 syllable
- Used for
- Boys
Traditional English short form of Ralph. Ralph comes from Old Norse Ráðúlfr, from elements meaning 'counsel' and 'wolf'.
How popular is Rafe?
Babies named Rafe in 2024148
2024 rank#1,311 boys
Peak year2024
Total US babies since 18802,754
Rafe is rising: use over the last five years is 1.6× what it was a decade earlier.
Names like Rafe
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Rafe questions
What does the name Rafe mean?
Rafe means "wolf counsel". It comes from English. Traditional English short form of Ralph. Ralph comes from Old Norse Ráðúlfr, from elements meaning 'counsel' and 'wolf'.
Is Rafe a boy or girl name?
Rafe is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Rafe?
148 US babies were named Rafe in 2024. Its peak year was 2024.
How do you pronounce Rafe?
Rafe is usually pronounced RAYF.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.