Girl · #15,899 in 2026

Rafia

Name: Popularity of the name Rafia in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Rafia, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Raffia palms are members of the genus Raphia. The Malagasy name rafia is derived from fia "to squeeze juice". The genus contains about twenty species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, and especially Madagascar, with one species also occurring in Central and South America.

Current Rank

#15,899

Peak Rank

#8,837 (2002)

Total Babies

105

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1988

First Year

2017

Last Year

2002

Peak Year

#8837

Peak Rank

105

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rafia

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Rafia

Rafia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1988, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2002, when 11 Rafias were born — ranking #8,837 that year. As of 2026, Rafia ranks #15,899 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 105 Rafias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Rafia

Phonetically similar names — useful when Rafia is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Raffia
Raphia
Raphael
Roofie
Ruffian
Rafa
Roofy
Rafi
Rifa
Raffi
Roughy
Raffa

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rafia

What does the name Rafia mean?

How popular is Rafia in 2026?

In 2026, Rafia ranks #15,899 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Rafia most popular?

Rafia reached its peak popularity in 2002, ranking #8,837 that year with 11 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Rafia most popular?

Rafia has historically been most popular in New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Rafia.

Is Rafia a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Rafia is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Rafia?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rafia include Lauralie, Hanne, Kysa. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Rafia

Rafia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1988 and has accumulated 105 births in the dataset. Rafia's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #8,837. Use the chart and map above to compare Rafia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.