Rafe
Literal root meaning: “God cures/has healed”
About the name Rafe
Rafe is a boy name with Biblical Hebrew roots, literally “God cures/has healed”. It is related to Raphael, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a unique, short & sweet feel. In 2025, Rafe ranked #1165 for boys in the US, with 179 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2025. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Rafe were boys.
Etymology
A diminutive of Raphael, which comes from Biblical Hebrew, meaning literally “God cures/has healed”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Rafe”, “Raphael”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #1165
- In 2015
- #1814
- Babies in 2025
- 179
Popularity of Rafe, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Rafe
Rafe is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Rafe
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.