Given name & surname
Raif
“a tough man”
Raif is a variant of Rafe. One Irish interpretation is “a tough man.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Raif is a variant of Rafe. One Irish interpretation is “a tough man.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Raif is a variant of Rafe. An origin associated with Rafe is Irish.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1967. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Raif through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 340
- 340 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2010
- 22 babies
- 2025
- 16
- #5,783 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +56%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 16 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,783 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 22 in 2010. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 457 as a first name in 2020; 162 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.
Raif’s family of names
Raif has a related form in Rafe. In German usage, Raif as a surname has a related form in REIFF.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Raif
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Raif, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Raidel
>99% boys
Rayfe
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Ryahn
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Rishab
“one who is musically talented”
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Ramzey
Ramzey is a variant of Ramsey. One English interpretation is “from the raven island; from the island of wild garlic.”
>99% boys
Rykker
>99% boys
Said
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Yaasir
>99% boys