ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1975

First Year

2024

Last Year

1995

Peak Year

#3432

Peak Rank

412

Total Count

45

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Rafiq

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

Rafiq is a name with multiple cultural origins: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali.

Origin data from [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/). 

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* Arabic
* Azerbaijani
* Urdu
* Bengali

📖

## The Story of Rafiq

American parents first put Rafiq on the record books as a baby boy name in 1975, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1995, when 19 Rafiqs were born — ranking #3,432 that year. About 30% of every Rafiq on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Rafiq last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 8 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 412 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🔗

## Variants & Related Forms of Rafiq

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Rafiq. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Rafik](/rafik)

🎶

## Names that sound like Rafiq

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

* [Rafi](/rafi)
* [Rafik](/rafik)
* Raphia
* Roofie
* Roofy
* Seraphic
* [Raffi](/raffi)
* Roughy
* Raffia
* Rufie
* Reefy
* Rufi

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Rafiq

What does the name Rafiq mean?

Rafiq is a name with multiple cultural origins: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali.

What is the origin of the name Rafiq?

Rafiq has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Urdu, Bengali.

How popular is Rafiq in 2026?

In 2026, Rafiq ranks #8,947 among boys' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.

When was Rafiq most popular?

Rafiq reached its peak popularity in 1995, ranking #3,432 that year with 19 babies given the name.

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

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

Is Rafiq a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Rafiq?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rafiq include Timon, Peng, Nichoals. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Rafiq?

Common variants and related forms of Rafiq include Rafik. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

## Similar Names

[👦TimonPeak #3432](/timon)[👦PengPeak #3432](/peng)[👦NichoalsPeak #3432](/nichoals)[👦AdonysPeak #3432](/adonys)[👦DeranPeak #3430](/deran)[👦HarvinPeak #3430](/harvin)[👦CondyPeak #3430](/condy)[👦DomitiloPeak #3430](/domitilo)

## About the name Rafiq 

Rafiq is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1975 and has accumulated 412 births in the dataset. Rafiq's peak popularity came in 1995 when it ranked #3,432\. Use the chart and map above to compare Rafiq's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1995 → ](/year/1995)
* [ Names of the 1990s → ](/decade/1990s)
* [ Names starting with "R" → ](/letter/r)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.