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Original poster

Is Rafe a real name?

56 replies

tortoiseonthehalfshell · 16/04/2010 03:00

When we were expecting our first, my husband put forth Rafe for a boy. Old english, he tells me, he's read it in Simon Schama.

I said I would only consider if it was actually a real name and not a nn or something he'd made up . We couldn't find any reference to it and we had a girl anyway so issue moot.

Anyway, am reading Wolf Hall now, set Tudor era, and have just come across a character called Rafe, not short for anything.

So, does that mean he's right, it's an actual old English name? Because if so, I am honour bound to consider it for Hypothetical Future Son.

And, do you like it?

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stripedtortoise · 30/06/2014 13:42

Yea, def a real name. I rather love it.
I like it as in short for Raphael but my DH doesn't :(
although I'm now thinking that's actually Raif which might not be the same as Rafe?

mumslife · 29/06/2014 22:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sashh · 29/06/2014 22:20

One of the more annoying (and they are all fairly annoying) apprentice candidates was called Rafe.

ICanHearYou · 28/06/2014 19:13

My son goes to nursery with a rafe.

petalsandstars · 28/06/2014 19:10

I know a toddler who is Rafe - but his mum pronounces it Ra-fee.

BlueStarsAtNight · 28/06/2014 19:02

I really dislike it. If I see Ralph, I would say Ralf.

Rafe sounds like someone desperately trying to posh up their name (like Hyacinth Bouquet/Bucket).

pinkangelita · 28/06/2014 18:53

I went to school with two Rafe's Smile lovely name.

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 28/06/2014 18:51

I know a Rafferty called Rafe.

Pebbles0934 · 28/06/2014 15:28

I always thought Ralph was pronounced Ralf?
Until Ralph Fiennes!

I'm in the UK and I would always pronounce Ralph as Ralf unless corrected.

I like the sound of Rafe... I would spell it like that to cause less confusion!

florascotia · 27/06/2014 21:51

Long but interesting - and reliable. Referred to, I think, by summarizing poster above, but worth reading:

www.behindthename.com/name/ralph

Is Germanic (Saxons and Vikings), modiefied by Normans (=Vikings from Northern France)
Ralph spelling not 'French invaders' but 18th cent. French version is Raoul.

RiverTam · 27/06/2014 21:43

I like it, and at least there's no confusion with pronounciation, unlike with Ralph. And it looks better as a word, Ralph (however you pronouce it) looks awful.

rafe281 · 27/06/2014 21:37

Yeah It's a real name, I'm called Rafe! :) And yeah of course I think it's a great name!

rafe281 · 27/06/2014 21:37

Yeah It's a real name, I'm called Rafe! :) And yeah of course I think it's a great name!

rafe281 · 27/06/2014 21:37

Yeah It's a real name, I'm called Rafe! :) And yeah of course I think it's a great name!

GrandstandingBlueTit · 18/10/2013 07:39

I was all set to come on and say, 'well, there's a character in Wolf Hall, yada, yada'. Grin

For what it's worth, I love it.

Caitlin17 · 18/10/2013 01:01

The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams is pronounced "Rafe".
I think Rafe might be made up but has passed into being a real name now.

jaundicedoutlook · 17/10/2013 22:30

No, no, no. Ralph is pronounced 'rafe', unless you live in Burnley, but some are anxious that their little ones will go around being called Ralph with a hard 'l, which is tantamount to being called Trevor.

All this after-the-event justification of the 'Rafe' spelling by appealing to so-called authority and 16th C. renderings of Raff is frankly bollocks. Just spell it Ralph and raise an arch eyebrow at anyone who pronounces it incorrectly.

amandine07 · 16/10/2013 15:26

Yes it is definitely a name!
Friends son is called Rafe.
I think it's a solid name, quite like it!

monica77798 · 16/10/2013 15:15

Made me think of Ralph Fiennes. Not sure if he has misspelled an old English name Rafe or not - but to me it at least sounds as though it is a name that some people do already have and not something that your OH invented

NotYoMomma · 16/10/2013 14:22

I love Rafe

tina118 · 16/10/2013 09:41

Rafe is a real name. It is an old English name & it is the way that Ralph was pronounced in the Middle Ages. Rafe is just the modern phonetic spelling so modern people get the pronunciation correct. Actor Timothy Spall's son is called Rafe. I really love the name. It is not of US origin. Ralph has Germanic/Norse origin & would be brought over by Vikings.

onimolap · 09/12/2010 22:04

I think "Rafe" counts as a real name, and indeed it may now be safer to spell it that way as Ralph (and Huey) can be terms for vomiting.

duchesse · 09/12/2010 21:59

Should be Ralph, but doesn't really matter. Ralph/Rafe pronounced "rayf" is definitely a proper English name.

kiwijesta · 09/12/2010 21:53

This is one of my fav names, sadly it's not on DHs list, in fact it might be in his veto pile.
To me Rafe is quite American, a character in Gone with the wind was Rafe Calvert and in the film Pearl Harbour Ben Aflect plays a Rafe.

mopsyflopsy · 09/12/2010 12:23

To me:

Ralph/Ralf/Rolf are pronounced with the LF at the end, so Ralf/Rolf

whereas

Rafe ryhmes with Safe.

Anything else will be very un-intuitive and difficult to understand (especially non Brits).