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.
- #10,946 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,269 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 283
- born since 1987
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Rafferty is the #6269 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 #6269 as of the latest data, more common than 55% 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.
- #10,946 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #6,269 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 283 born since 1987
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rafferty ranks #10,946 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,269 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 283 born since 1987, peaking in the 2010s.
- #10,946 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,269 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 283
- born since 1987
- 2010s
- peak decade
Rafferty's 283 recorded births place it above 75.93% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Rafferty compares
283 44th 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
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 (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 283 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 19 | 34 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (98 births, 35% of the file).
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% |
5 of 283 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Rafferty side by side: Rafferty vs Rafael Rafferty vs Rafe Rafferty vs Raffaele
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rafferty
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rafferty: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~38 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, 1987–2025 (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 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 August 2026.