UK boy's name
Rafee
A masculine Arabic name meaning "elevated" or "exalted".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Rafee is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Rafee popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 6 births.
This profile covers 43 England and Wales registrations across 11 recorded years from 2003 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 83% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 43 living people in the UK are called Rafee. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Rafee ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 6 boys were registered as Rafee.
- • About 43 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rafee as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3688
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2007
6 births
Estimated living
43
2026
Meaning
What does Rafee mean?
The name Rafee has its origins in Arabic, where it is a variant spelling of the name Rafi. It is derived from the root word "rafa'a," which means "to raise" or "to uplift." The name is believed to have emerged during the early Islamic era, around the 7th or 8th century AD, in the Arabian Peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rafee can be found in ancient Arabic poetry and literature. It is mentioned in several works by renowned poets and scholars from the medieval Islamic world, such as Al-Mutanabbi (915-965 AD) and Al-Jahiz (776-868 AD).
Throughout history, the name Rafee has been borne by several notable figures. One of the most famous was Rafee al-Din al-Khazraji (1142-1228 AD), a renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher from modern-day Iran. He was renowned for his contributions to the fields of theology, logic, and metaphysics.
Another prominent individual with this name was Rafee al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274 AD), a Persian polymath who made significant contributions to various fields, including mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. He is particularly known for his work on the development of trigonometry and his contributions to the observatory in Maragheh.
In the realm of literature, Rafee al-Din al-Irbili (1216-1286 AD) was a prominent Kurdish poet and scholar from the 13th century. His poetry and writings played a significant role in the development of Kurdish literature and culture during that time.
Moving forward in history, Rafee al-Din Shafi (1539-1597 AD) was a prominent Ottoman calligrapher and poet from the 16th century. His calligraphic works are widely admired and have been preserved in various museums and collections around the world.
Another notable figure with the name Rafee was Rafee al-Din al-Basri (1635-1716 AD), an influential Sufi scholar and mystic from Basra, Iraq. He was known for his teachings on spiritual enlightenment and his contributions to the Naqshbandi Sufi order.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rafee over time
The chart below shows babies named Rafee registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Rafee, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rafee by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rafee was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3688 | 5 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4530 | 16 | 5 |
| 2000s | #3294 | 22 | 5 |
Related
Names similar to Rafee
- Ryan 68,692
- Riley 37,992
- Robert 27,462
- Reuben 25,122
- Rhys 24,418
- Reece 24,329
- Rory 21,870
- Roman 16,609
- Ronnie 16,445
- Reggie 14,684
- Rowan 14,371
- Ralph 8,892
FAQ
Rafee: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rafee in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rafee was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Rafee most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 6 babies registered as Rafee in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rafee?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "elevated" or "exalted".
How many people are called Rafee in the UK?
A total of 43 babies have been registered as Rafee across the 11 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.