Ralph, Raef or Rafe?

[Silver45]

How should it be spelt? And do you like it?

I'd spell it Rafe, to stop the mispronounciation if it was Ralph.

And yes, I like it.

If you want if pronounced Rafe, I would spell it Rafe. Yes, like it.

Rafe, love it!

Rafe

I'd spell it Rafe

Usually I am old fashioned about name-spellings but this is an exception.

I like it.

Rafaelle or Rafael in full to avoid people assuming that it's Ralph might help.

Raef looks made up.

I'd say Rafe and Ralph are two different names, and go with which one you'd like the pronouncation to be.

Ralph will be pronounced Ralf. If you want Rafe, spell it Rafe.

No, I don't like it (not that that should matter to you!).

I prefer Raif or Raef, but only because Rafe looks like the word "rape" to me and feels very negative.

Rafe

IF it matters, Rafe and Ralph were originally the same name, from Norse/Norman name, Radulph.
Original English spelling was Ralf. This was followed by spelling Rafe (to reflect changed pronounciation fashions in 17th cent). Apparently, the spelling Ralph was an 18th century invention. www.behindthename.com/name/ralph

Raf or Rafa as a nn for Raphael is a different name altogether.

Rafe. I don't like it though.

My friend has a liitle boy Raif. I like that spelling. Nice name :)

I know a 2 year old called Reef.

Reef is a bit druggy.

Rafe, if you want it pronounced as it's spelled.

Since you ask, no, I don't like it.

If you spelt it as Rafe, I'd assume you couldn't spell. If you spelt it as Raef, I'd assume you were foreign.

Like it a lot spelt 'Ralph' but pronounced 'Rafe' in the traditional way .

Love Raphael, and Raph is a cool nickname.

What about Raoul (pronounced Rowl)?

My grandfather was Ralph, pronounced Rafe. When I was younger people used to say that they had known him but I could tell that they had always called him Mr X because they mispronounced his first name. I would have liked to name DS after him, but would have spelt it Rafe. Although, now that I've seen Raif, I think that might be a better spelling.

What about Rafael? Then it can be shortened to whatever you like!

Good luck!

Thesaurus Rafe has been an accepted spelling and alternative pronounciation for Ralf approx 400 years.

The original spelling and pronouciation in English was Ralf. (It's a contraction of a Norse name, Randulf.) Rafe as an alternative spelling and pronounciation seems to have originated around AD 1600.

Ralph (same sound as Ralf) was an 18th century way of spelling Ralf that has since become popular on both sides of the Atlantic.

Since then, some people have used one spelling but the alternative pronounciation, IFYSWIM. Hence the confusion.

Because the name name has three well-established spellings and two perfectly possible pronounciations, I don't really see the need for new ones, either 'Raef' (which people might try to say as 'Ray-eef') or 'Raif' (danger that it could be pronouned 'Rife', as in 'Thai' or 'Mai'). But names clearly DO change in spelling and pronounciation ove over the centuries, and there's no UK law against it ....

Sorry, really don't like it. Ever since the Little Britain sketch with the pushy mum and little Rafe.

Raef if you really like it, but personally I'm not a fan.

Rafe is a nice name.
Absolutely no need for raef or raif.

Thank you all, very helpful!!

Rafe.

Really like it!