Thoughts on the name Rafferty?

[Csang]

I'm due to have a baby boy in a few months and we still can't find a name we both agree on. I love Raffie and Raphael is a lovley name but our kid is likely to be ginger, light skinned and freckly so Mediterranean Raphael vibes might seem a bit ridiculous! Raffie is also short for Rafferty which I'm not immediately drawn to. Any thoughts?!??!

I thought it was a surname

I think it’s terrible, and so is raffie, but if you want Raffie just call him that.

I quite like it

It was on our shortlist and my husband loved it but I couldn’t get past the fact it sounds like a posh tramps name.

we also have pale babies
you are better off going for something like Rafa imo but the paleness makes it tricky…

Raffle rhymes with Staffie like the dog for me! And I don’t like Rafferty either really, it sounds too try hard.

if Raphael is the name you like use it. It doesn’t matter if he’s ginger.

Love that name

It’s fine. I know quite a few in south London nurseries if that helps.

Rufus means red-haired I think? I really like Rufus!

Go for what you love. Rafferty isn't awful; it's not my taste but it isn't awful. He will grow into it and when people get to know him it will just his name and no one will question it.
Raphael, OTOH, is a fabulous name, and personally I would always go for fabulous. But it's not my baby!

I'm not mad on it. It sounds a bit affected. It's not horrible though. I think Rafael is better.
I had a friend called Rafe. But that sounds a bit too posh, lol.

Pretentious.

I have a three year old Rafferty/ Raff - I still love it and out of the hundreds of people who I've introduced him to, all have exclaimed how much they love his name apart from maybe two who didn't comment 😂

It's a silly name and very frilly!

How about Rufus? That would be perfect on a child leaning towards ginger.

It a type of braised pork belly where I'm from so it would be a no from me 😅

I love it! It's a great name in my view!!

We have a Rufus! It means red which is fitting. We've always had lots of people say they like it and it's not too long or complicated.

Good luck!

It’s ok. Definitely on trend current as I know two born recently.

I’m sorry but I really don’t like it, it sounds like a dog’s name. There are plenty of other lovely R- names though!

Feels more like a surname to me I would prefer Ralph? X

I love it.

Gorgeous name!

I like it. But I also like Raphael. So you clearly have excellent taste!

I think in twenty years time it will be a really awful name to have. Like Jeremy, which I bet was the Rafferty of the 70s.

You are honestly me 13 years ago OP. I wanted Rafael but was likely to have a ginger kid and think a Rafael really only suits dark haired and olive skinned boys/men. I went with Rafferty and whilst some people hate it many, many more love it. He's usually known as Raff nowadays but was Raffy for his baby and toddler years. I actually dislike the Raffie spelling that you prefer, but it's personal choice. If you like Raffie on its own, go for it.

Not a fan of Rafferty tbh.
I don't think of Raphael as necessarily mediterranean. I think it's probably used throughout Europe (although with various different spellings). I don't see anything incongrous about a ginger Raphael!

Quite liked it until a particularly annoying and smug influencer named her son raffy, now it’s all I think when I hear the name and I’ve gone right off it. Sorry.