Unisex name · since 2011
Rafa
138 babies named Rafa in U.S. Social Security records since 2011, with the highest year being 2023. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #15,325 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,576 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 138
- born since 2011
- 2020s
- peak decade
138 babies have been named Rafa since 2011, making it today's #5576 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Rafa recorded 138 times among boys since 2011, holding rank #5576 nationally today, ahead of 60% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2011 to 2025.
- #15,325 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,576 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 138 born since 2011
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rafa ranks #15,325 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,576 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 138 born since 2011, peaking in the 2020s.
- #15,325 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,576 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 138
- born since 2011
- 2020s
- peak decade
Rafa's 138 recorded births place it above 66.26% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Rafa compares
138 31st percentile among 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Rafa's all-time total is 63% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rafa | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 138 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 20 | 34 | 22,252 |
Rafa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rafa's SSA record in two at 2020 and the more recent half accounts for 66% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 34%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 2016, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2023 peak of 20, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rafa popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2011–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 15 years of records
Currently ranks #5576 among boys.
138 total births across 15 years of SSA records. Peaked in 2023 with 20 births in a single year.
Rafa popularity over time - girls
67 total births recorded since 1998 (Rafa as girls' name)
Unisex use is substantial
The girls' variant of Rafa accounts for 33% of total recorded use across both genders.
Rafa by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (91 births, 66% of the file).
2020s was Rafa's strongest decade.
91 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 66% of all-time use.
Rafa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2010s
2010s
47 births
- 2020s
2020s
91 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 91 births (66% of all-time use).
Rafa decade highlights
- Peak decade 91 births
- Runner-up 47 births
- Decades tracked with recorded births
Rafa by state
Where Rafa concentrates geographically, total births since 2011
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6 | 4.3% |
| #2 | Florida | | 5 | 3.6% |
6 of 138 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- California 4.3% of nationwide
- Florida 3.6% of nationwide
Recorded in 2 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
California accounts for 4.3% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Rafa's data
- California records the most Rafas (6 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rafa
Nearby Names Like Rafa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rafa
Compare Rafa side by side: Rafa vs Rafael Rafa vs Rafe Rafa vs Raffaele
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rafa
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rafa: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2023)
Similar record span (~14 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 2011–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Rafa draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
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