Rafe - boys name

Rafe name popularity, meaning and origin

Name Popularity: 96%

Rafe name meaning:

The name Rafe is of English origin and is typically used as a shortened form of the name Ralph or Raphael. It is more commonly used as a boy's name. The meaning of the name Rafe is often interpreted as "wolf counsel" or "counselor of the wolf." The wolf is regarded as a symbol of strength, loyalty, and wisdom in many cultures, making this name associated with those qualities.

Individuals named Rafe are often seen as intelligent, intuitive, and perceptive. They have a natural ability to provide guidance and support to others. Rafe is a name that exudes confidence and leadership, as well as a strong sense of justice and fairness. People with this name are often admired for their wisdom and their ability to navigate through difficult situations with ease.

Overall, the name Rafe carries a positive connotation, suggesting a person who possesses strength, wisdom, and the ability to provide valuable counsel to those around them.

Origin: English

The meaning of the name Rafe falls into two camps depending on the origin. In northern Europe, i.e. Britain, Scandinavia or Germany it is of Old Norse origin and means "wise wolf" or counsel of the wolf".

In southern Europe and in Hebrew the name is likely to be a short form of Raphael / Rafael. This is the name of one of the archangels from the Bible and comes from the Hebrew 'God has healed'.

Related names

Raphael , Rafael , Rafaela , Rafe , Raffaello , Rafi , Raphaela

Other boys names beginning with R

Statistics

Overall UK ranking: 213 out of 4789

248 recorded births last year

Change in rank

  • 10yrs

    375
  • 5yrs

    84
  • 1yr

    56

    Regional popularity

    Ranking for this name in various UK regions

  • Scotland (533)

Historical popularity of Rafe

The graph below shows the popularity of the boys's name Rafe from all the UK baby name statistics available. It's a quick easy way to see the trend for Rafe in 2024