Boys' name · since 1961

Rafer

Since 1961, U.S. Social Security records show 34 babies named Rafer, peaking in 1961. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#24,980 of 45,481
all-time among boys
34
born since 1961
1960s
peak decade

Rafer is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 34 have been recorded since 1961.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rafer has been recorded 34 times among boys since 1961, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1961 to 1982.

  • #24,980 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 34 born since 1961
  • 1960s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rafer ranks #24,980 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 34 born since 1961, peaking in the 1960s.

#24,980 of 45,481
all-time among boys
34
born since 1961
1960s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Rafer's 34 recorded births place it above 44.95% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Rafer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Rafer's full recorded timeline at 1969, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1967, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1961 peak of 8 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Rafer popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1961–1982

Last recorded 1982
Peak year (1961)
8
Annual births at peak, across 22 years of records
456789 196119671968196919771982 5

Rafer by decade

1960s is the heaviest window (24 births, 71% of the file).

1960s was Rafer's strongest decade.

24 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 71% of all-time use.

Rafer births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1960s at 24 births (71% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Rafer? ▼
34 babies have been named Rafer since 1961. All-time, it sits at #24,980 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 1982. The peak year was 1961 with 8 births.
Where does Rafer sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rafer ranks #24,980 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Rafer most popular? ▼
Rafer was most popular in the 1960s decade with 24 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
How long has the name Rafer been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Rafer since 1961 -- 22 years through the most recent 1982 data.
What names are similar to Rafer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rafael, Rafe, Raffaele, Rafeal, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Rafer's data

  • Rafer's decade-level peak was the 1960s (24 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Rafer

Nearby Names Like Rafer

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rafer

Rafael Boy
#218 89,379 births
Rafe Boy
#1165 2,935 births
Raffaele Boy
#4872 1,079 births
Rafeal Boy
925 births
Raffi Boy
#5663 839 births

Compare Rafer side by side: Rafer vs Rafael Rafer vs Rafe Rafer vs Raffaele

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Rolley
34 births · Peak 1923
Holsey
34 births · Peak 1926
Birger
34 births · Peak 1917
Hatton #12089
34 births · Peak 1913
Duffie
34 births · Peak 1918
Lunsford
34 births · Peak 1918
Abbot
34 births · Peak 1914
Cromwell
34 births · Peak 1918

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Rafer: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1961–1982 (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 Rafer 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.