Rafeef
An Arabic name meaning "companion" or "close friend".
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the first name Rafeef. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rafeef today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rafeef births was 2017 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rafeef. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
127
~ 1 in 2,698,853 Americans
Peak year
2017
13 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,811
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Rafeef: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rafeef from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 92 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rafeef remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rafeef by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rafeef during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rafeef
The name Rafeef is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "rafaf" which means "to flutter" or "to wave." This name is believed to have first emerged during the medieval period in the Middle East, particularly in regions where Arabic culture and language flourished.
One of the earliest known references to the name Rafeef can be found in classical Arabic literature, where it was used as a poetic description for gentle breezes or the fluttering of leaves. The name's connection to nature and the delicate movements of the wind or foliage may have contributed to its adoption as a given name.
In the 10th century, a renowned Arabic scholar and historian, Rafeef al-Baghdadi, born in 923 CE and died in 997 CE, gained recognition for his extensive works on the history of Baghdad and the Abbasid Caliphate. His writings provide valuable insights into the cultural and intellectual landscape of that era, making him one of the earliest notable figures to bear this name.
Another historical figure associated with the name Rafeef was Rafeef al-Andalusi, a prominent poet and literary figure from medieval Andalusia (modern-day Spain and Portugal). Born in 1035 CE and died in 1109 CE, he was celebrated for his mastery of Arabic poetry and his contributions to the flourishing literary scene during the golden age of Islamic civilization in the Iberian Peninsula.
In the 13th century, Rafeef al-Dimashqi, a Syrian scholar and traveler, born in 1256 CE and died in 1327 CE, gained fame for his extensive travels across the Middle East and North Africa. His travelogues and accounts of different regions and cultures provide a rich historical perspective on the diverse landscapes and societies of that time.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Rafeef Pasha al-Azmeh, born in 1825 CE and died in 1892 CE, was a prominent Ottoman statesman and diplomat. He served as the governor of various provinces within the Ottoman Empire and played a significant role in the political and administrative affairs of the region during his lifetime.
Throughout history, the name Rafeef has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and literary traditions associated with the Arabic language and the regions where it was spoken and written.
People
Rafeef + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rafeef as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rafeef: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rafeef?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 127 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rafeef going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,698,853 US residents.
Is Rafeef a common name?
We classify Rafeef as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 128 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rafeef most popular?
The single biggest year for Rafeef was 2017, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rafeef is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rafeef a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rafeef in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.