Given name & surname
Rafi
“one who is exalted”
Rafi is used as a given name and a surname. One Arabic interpretation is “one who is exalted.”
Original Arabicرافي
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Arabic interpretation is “one who is exalted.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Arabic.
How it developed
In Spanish usage, Rafi is a diminutive of Rafaela.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1974. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Rafi through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 739
- 734 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 43 babies
- 2025
- 43
- #2,923 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +36%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 43 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,923 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 41.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,491 as a first name in 2020; 910 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Rafi’s family of names
In English usage, Rafi is a diminutive of Raphael. Rafi has a related form in Rajat. In Spanish usage, Rafi is a diminutive of Rafaela.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Rafi has relatives in 7 languages. Lines run from its Arabic roots to each of them.
Arabicwhere Rafi comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 14
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Raphaelfull form · English
- Rafaelafull form · Spanish
- Rajatvariant
- Raffievariant
- Rafiqvariant
- Rajfeevariant
- Rafeavariant
- Rajeyvariant
Show 6 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Rafi
- Shah Jahan II11th Mughal Emperor (1719)1696–1719
- Rafi ud-Darajatthe tenth Mughal Emperor (1719)1699–1719
- RaffiCanadian singer-songwriter and children's advocateborn 1948
- Rafi PeretzIsrael Defence Forces Chief Rabbiborn 1956
- Rafi Ahmed KidwaiIndian freedom fighter (1894–1954)
- Rafi BistritzerIsraeli physicistborn 1974
- Rafi PittsBritish-Iranian film director, screenwriter and film producerborn 1967
- Rafi ibn Harthamaruler of Khurasan from 882 to 892801–896
- Rafi HaladjianFrench businessmanborn 1961
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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