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Baby names

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Original poster

Rafe - will DS be teased / Is the name too posh ?

82 replies

NappyAndNice · 06/08/2025 15:35

Please help!

So we like Rafe as a name for our DS.
I know others have suggested Raife as an alternative spelling.
And had the warning of Rafe being called R*pe.

Does anyone have the name, or have a child named Rafe or know someone. Has the name been negative? I know being teased can happen with any name, but is it worse with Rafe?

Then is it really a posh name? Does that matter?
We not posh and we dont live in a posh neighbourhood, so would it be out of place?

Thanks

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Calliopespa · 07/08/2025 13:38

ColdClimates · 07/08/2025 13:30

Well, I'm not from the UK, either, but surely you have social class where you come from? I certainly do, though it works a bit differently to the UK. You can be an upper-class farmer. You can be an upper-class carpenter.

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Yes, farmers can be posh.

Posh isn't about wealth.

ColdClimates · 07/08/2025 13:30

Limonades · 07/08/2025 13:15

Ok, maybe I’m mistaken. Maybe he is regarded as ‚posh‘ despite working as a farmer. I’m not from the UK originally so struggle to understand the concept.

Well, I'm not from the UK, either, but surely you have social class where you come from? I certainly do, though it works a bit differently to the UK. You can be an upper-class farmer. You can be an upper-class carpenter.

Limonades · 07/08/2025 13:15

Ok, maybe I’m mistaken. Maybe he is regarded as ‚posh‘ despite working as a farmer. I’m not from the UK originally so struggle to understand the concept.

ColdClimates · 07/08/2025 13:12

Limonades · 07/08/2025 12:32

Ralph Fiennes is NOT posh. His dad was a farmer.

Whats this weird British obsession with ‚poshness‘ anyway?

Rafe is more like to get teased due it’s rhyming with Rape than its alleged poshness?!

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Yes, @Limonades must be confused. Ralph Fiennes is solidly upper-class. His real name is Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, and he's an offshoot of the Baron Saye and Sele peerage. The title dates from the 1400s. His father farmed, sure, but was an Old Etonian, and his father before him was a wealthy industrialist, attended Repton, was knighted for his contributions to British steel etc.

PennyAnnLane · 07/08/2025 12:59

Limonades · 07/08/2025 12:32

Ralph Fiennes is NOT posh. His dad was a farmer.

Whats this weird British obsession with ‚poshness‘ anyway?

Rafe is more like to get teased due it’s rhyming with Rape than its alleged poshness?!

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Are you mistaking Ralph Fiennes for someone else? I’ve just googled him and his father went to Eton, if you look up posh in the dictionary you’d find a picture of him!

RuthW · 07/08/2025 12:53

Go for it. It’s a perfectly normal name and not posh.

KingstonTown · 07/08/2025 12:38

Limonades · 06/08/2025 17:58

Teasing posh names? Why? What’s tease worthy about a posh name???

The only names that seem to get teased are silly names like William -> Willy or Benedict -> Bendy Dick etc

I have a Benedict and a William, not silly names at all, they've never been teased for their names.

Limonades · 07/08/2025 12:32

ColdClimates · 07/08/2025 12:19

Exactly. Which is why the actor Ralph Fiennes (UC background) is 'Ralph pronounced Rafe' and the actor Rafe Spall (LMC background) is 'Rafe pronounced Rafe'.

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Ralph Fiennes is NOT posh. His dad was a farmer.

Whats this weird British obsession with ‚poshness‘ anyway?

Rafe is more like to get teased due it’s rhyming with Rape than its alleged poshness?!

Calliopespa · 07/08/2025 12:30

Calliopespa · 07/08/2025 12:22

Ralph is definitely pronounced "Rafe" if posh, Ralf if not posh, but that all works out the way OP hoped.

oh no, hang on: The spelling Rafe is not posh, so what the op hopes.

But saying it as "Rafe" IS posh.

What about Rafi or Raffy OP - from Rafferty or Raphael. I don't think either of those are posh - more arty.

okydokethen · 07/08/2025 12:26

Rafi is super cute

Calliopespa · 07/08/2025 12:22

Ralph is definitely pronounced "Rafe" if posh, Ralf if not posh, but that all works out the way OP hoped.

ColdClimates · 07/08/2025 12:19

greglet · 07/08/2025 12:16

I don’t think it’s posh. Ralph pronounced Rafe is posh.

Exactly. Which is why the actor Ralph Fiennes (UC background) is 'Ralph pronounced Rafe' and the actor Rafe Spall (LMC background) is 'Rafe pronounced Rafe'.

ColdClimates · 07/08/2025 12:17

JMSA · 07/08/2025 12:06

I’m a teacher and have never heard of Ralph being pronounced as Rafe.

Well, it is. The actor Ralph Fiennes or Ralph Vaughan Williams the composer are probably the best known examples, but it dates back to the Great Vowel Shift.

greglet · 07/08/2025 12:16

I don’t think it’s posh. Ralph pronounced Rafe is posh.

JMSA · 07/08/2025 12:06

I’m a teacher and have never heard of Ralph being pronounced as Rafe.

Eenameenadeeka · 07/08/2025 09:42

I knew of one at our baby group I think it's lovely

MaybeItWasMe · 07/08/2025 08:35

I’m a teacher and have taught several Rafes, all
of whom have been badly behaved and unpleasant so I don’t like it for that reason. I also feel that it should be Ralph.

Limonades · 07/08/2025 08:32

RoastLambs · 06/08/2025 23:55

You must live a different life from most then. Confused

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Why?

The op asked for honest opinions!

RoastLambs · 06/08/2025 23:55

Redburnett · 06/08/2025 21:45

Oh dear, all i can think of is 'Rapey Rafe'......

You must live a different life from most then. Confused

mismomary · 06/08/2025 22:57

A good friend of mine has a Rafe. They are not the slightest bit Posh. Well maybe a tad. Lovely name.

Calliopespa · 06/08/2025 22:35

I tend to think of Ralph pronounced Rafe as faintly posh, but to me "creative" or "different" spellings are never really posh - like Elizabeth can sound posh, but Ilysabith never would be.

So if you like the Rafe spelling and you want to avoid posh, I think you've found your name!

That spelling has become more used of late, a bit like Nikko or Nyco for Nico.

Limonades · 06/08/2025 22:24

I much prefer Ralph. Pronounced as Ralph! Works well in most European languages too.

Rafe is way too close to Rape. Not a nice sound

pamshortsbrokenbothherlegs · 06/08/2025 21:50

My Rafe is only 18mo so no opportunities for teasing yet, but we get loads of compliments on his name. We purposely went with Rafe over Ralph because we aren't posh and Ralph felt oddly aspirational. I also just think it looks nicer and he won't have to explain it constantly!

Redburnett · 06/08/2025 21:45

Oh dear, all i can think of is 'Rapey Rafe'......

Reab8 · 06/08/2025 20:19

Love it, my first border collie was called Rafe after the farmer we bought him from😊