Raffi
Rafi is a male given name of Armenian and Arabic origin. It is one of the names of Allah, stemming from the Arabic verb rafaʿa (رَفَعَ), meaning "to lift, to raise ". It is distinct from another male name, Rafi. Other common transcriptions include "Rafee", "Rafie", "Rafay" and "Raffy".
Meaning & Origin of Raffi
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rafi is a male given name of Armenian and Arabic origin. It is one of the names of Allah, stemming from the Arabic verb rafaʿa (رَفَعَ), meaning "to lift, to raise ". It is distinct from another male name, Rafi. Other common transcriptions include "Rafee", "Rafie", "Rafay" and "Raffy".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Raffi
The earliest SSA record of Raffi as a baby boy name dates back to 1962, when 6 babies received it. 1988 was its biggest year on record, with 27 newborns named Raffi — #2,255 in the national rankings. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 20% of all recorded Raffis. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #6,454 among baby boy names with 13 births, gradually rising (+11%). In total, more than 849 Raffis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Raffi
Phonetically similar names — useful when Raffi is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Raffi
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About the name Raffi
Raffi is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1962 and has accumulated 849 births in the dataset. Raffi's peak popularity came in 1988 when it ranked #2,161. Use the chart and map above to compare Raffi's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1988 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.