Raef??

[wineandpopcorn]

What do people think of the name raef for a boy?

[OneDayWhenIGrowUp]

I'd think it was a spelling mistake

[Squooshed]

I prefer Rafe.

[wineandpopcorn]

Ha ha!!! What about Rafe? I don't like the proper spelling of Ralph, as he would always get called Ralf instead!

[orchidnap]

I'm not sure why anyone would think it was Ralf rather than Ralph??

[Squooshed]

Yes, Rafe will avoid all that

'it's pronounced Rafe actually'
'Yes really'
'Yes I know it's spelt with an L, but it's a silent L'
'I SAID IT'S PRONOUNCED RAFE'

I bet Ralph Fiennes sometimes wishes he was a Rafe.

[Wishful80smontage]

Rafe is very nice

[OneDayWhenIGrowUp]

Rafe is a great name

[girlandboy]

I like it, but please spell it how everyone else does. Else that person will spend a lifetime correcting people and explaining his name. And I mean a lifetime!

[mrstweefromtweesville]

Not for me. I like real names, not made up ones. I taught a Zoie, once. Her mum couldn't spell.

[beardsrock]

Like Nadal?

[19lottie82]

Sounds like, Rayf?

I'm not sure how to pronounce that, sorry!

[wafflyversatile]

"I'm not sure why anyone would think it was Ralf rather than Ralph??"

Because until Ralph Fiennes came on the go everyone pronounced Ralph as Ralf. I distinctly remember everyone going ''what? Rafe? Rafe? Not Ralf? Why does he pronounce it like that? Whut? lol'' or words to that effect.

[beardsrock]

I know someone whose name is Deen.

Yes, Deen. Sounds like Dean, but the mum wanted to be different and spell it Deen.

Cue millions of 'No, it's Deen, not D-E-A-N' conversations.

[wineandpopcorn]

I don't like made up names either, but I really don't like the name Ralf, which is what it would get called constantly if we used the correct spelling .

[girlandboy]

Then if you like the sound of Rafe, then please don't spell it as Raef because that just looks made up.

[lugo40]

i'm sorry i am being really thick but i am totally confused.

Ralph and Ralf - are they not pronounced the same?
and Rafe or raef is nice name but definitely very different pronunciation to ralph or ralf..

have i missed something?

[PermetsTu]

lugo, Ralph and Rafe are both pronounced 'rafe' (although Ralph is also sometimes pronounced 'ralf').

I have a Rafe. Lovely name. It's a nickname though. He's actually named after a ninja turtle.

[lunar1]

I wouldn't have a clue how to say it to be honest!

[SillyBub]

My cousin is a grown-up Raef. I can't disassociate the name from him which means I don't actually like the name at all

[scatterthenuns]

Go for Rafe.

Ralph (pronounced Ralph) and Ralph (pronounced Rafe, like Voldemort) is one that people will always fuck up.

[MamaLazarou]

I think it's awful, sorry.

[lugo40]

I never knew that. I would only ever pronounce Ralph with an l sound. And rafe as a ray sound with FF on the end.

[lugo40]

I really like the name rafe. I think this thread proves you may get some ralf pronounciation though so if that bothers you raef is clear to me

[Colyngbourne]

Ralph was always pronounced "Rafe" until about 1900.

If you want the pronunciation to be obvious, then use "Rafe" rather than "Raef".

[wafflyversatile]

Unfortunately no one I know remembers 1900 hence everyone's confusion when Ralph Fiennes hove into public view.