Rafi
Boy name · #2904 in 2025 · Uniqueness 56/100
Rafi ranks #2904 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 43 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #5058, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 41,860 boys born in 2025 was named Rafi.
Babies named Rafi per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 51-year story
Rafi first appears in the Social Security records in 1974, when 9 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 43 babies and a rank of #2884. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rafi against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rafi in class?
Rafi scores 56 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Rafi is most common
State-level data for Rafi is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Rafi
Statistically, parents drawn to Rafi tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rui, Rei, Ryle, Roi, and Koji.
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rafi | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 43 | #2884 |
| 2024 | 38 | #3161 |
| 2023 | 23 | #4456 |
| 2022 | 29 | #3774 |
| 2021 | 23 | #4362 |
| 2020 | 26 | #3918 |
| 2019 | 23 | #4337 |
| 2018 | 24 | #4226 |
| 2017 | 22 | #4466 |
| 2016 | 15 | #5789 |
| 2015 | 18 | #5058 |
| 2014 | 23 | #4263 |
| 2013 | 11 | #7026 |
| 2012 | 19 | #4862 |
| 2011 | 13 | #6256 |
| 2010 | 14 | #6036 |
| 2009 | 17 | #5334 |
| 2008 | 19 | #4901 |
| 2007 | 21 | #4493 |
| 2006 | 18 | #4865 |
| 2005 | 13 | #5875 |
| 2004 | 15 | #5246 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4616 |
| 2002 | 14 | #5131 |
| 2001 | 9 | #6935 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Rafi a popular boy name?
Rafi ranked #2904 among boys in 2025 with 43 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #5058.
When was the name Rafi most popular?
Rafi peaked in 2025, when 43 American boys received the name (ranked #2884 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Rafi?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 41,860 newborn American boys was named Rafi. It scores 56/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.