Total births
283
Boys' name · since 1987
Rafferty
Rafferty has 283 recorded births since 1987 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2024 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5136
- among boys today
- 283
- born since 1987
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 64%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Rafferty is the #5136 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 283 recorded since 1987.
Rafferty has 283 recorded births among boys since 1987, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5136 as of the latest data, more common than 64% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1987 to 2025.
- #5136 among boys today
- 283 born since 1987
- 2010s peak decade
- 64% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Rafferty is currently the #5136 boys' name in America, more common than 64% of boys - 283 born since 1987, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5136
- among boys today
- 283
- born since 1987
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 64%
- more common than other boys
Rafferty vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5136
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 64% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Rafferty was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
19 babies were named Rafferty in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Rafferty compares
283 45th percentile among 14,294 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
Rafferty's all-time total is 23% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rafferty | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 283 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 19 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rafferty's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rafferty splits its recorded history at 2012: 60% of all births land in the more recent half, 40% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1987 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 19 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rafferty at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#5,136
Active since
1987
Rafferty popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1987–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 39 years of records
Rafferty by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Rafferty's strongest decade.
98 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Rafferty births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 10
1980s
10 births
- 1990s 10
1990s
10 births
- 2000s
2000s
71 births
- 2010s
2010s
98 births
- 2020s
2020s
94 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 98 births (35% of all-time use).
Rafferty by state
Where Rafferty concentrates geographically, total births since 1987
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 1.8% |
California share of Rafferty's total US births 1.8%
5 of 283 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rafferty? ▼
Rafferty has been given to 283 babies in the U.S. since 1987, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #5136 as of the latest data. 19 babies were born in 2024, its single highest year.
When was Rafferty most popular? ▼
Rafferty was most popular in the 2010s decade with 98 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Rafferty most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rafferty are California (5 births).
How long has the name Rafferty been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Rafferty since 1987 -- 39 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Rafferty? ▼
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 Rafferty's data
- Rafferty's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (98 total births) through the 2020s (94) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Raffertys (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rafferty
Nearby Names Like Rafferty
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rafferty
Rafael Boy
#222 89,379 births
Rafe Boy
#1310 2,935 births
Raffaele Boy
#5259 1,079 births
Rafeal Boy
925 births
Raffi Boy
#6547 839 births
Compare Rafferty side by side: Rafferty vs Rafael Rafferty vs Rafe Rafferty vs Raffaele
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rafferty
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1987–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rafferty: #5136 Boys' Name - 283 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rafferty. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Rafferty 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 July 2026.