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Rafe

Rafe is a boy's name of English origin meaning “counsel of the wolf.” In 2024 it was given to 148 boys in the United States.

Rafe at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
English & American
Meaning
“counsel of the wolf”
Also spelled
Rafael

About the name Rafe

Rafe belongs to the English & American tradition. Its meaning — “counsel of the wolf” — is the sense carried by its English roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Rafael.

In the United States, Rafe first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #887 in 1880, and in 2024 148 babies received the name — 2,754 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Rafe in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#887 in 1880
Peak year
2024
Babies named Rafe in 2024
148
Total since 1880
2,754

Rafe in England & Wales records

First recorded (since 1996)
1996
Best rank
#201 in 2025
Babies named Rafe in 2025
255
Total since 1996
2,888

Spellings & short forms

Rafael

Similar names

More names from the English & American shelf:

WilliamEnglishRichardEnglishAnthonyEnglishMarkEnglishEdwardEnglishStevenEnglishNicholasEnglishLarryEnglish

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Rafe mean?

Rafe means “counsel of the wolf” in its English roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Rafe a boy or girl name?

Rafe is a boy name. In 2024, 148 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Rafe?

Rafe comes from the English & American tradition. It is also spelled Rafael.

How popular is the name Rafe?

Rafe first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #887 in 1880, and 148 babies were given the name in 2024.

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. England & Wales figures are from the Office for National Statistics. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.