Total births
105
Girls' name · since 1988
Rafia
Rafia has 105 recorded births since 1988 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2002 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 105
- total births
- 1988–2017
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 44%
- born in that decade
Rafia sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 105 recorded since 1988.
Social Security Administration records show Rafia recorded 105 times among girls since 1988, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1988 to 2017.
- 105 total births
- 1988–2017 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 44% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
105 girls have been named Rafia since 1988, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2017.
- 105
- total births
- 1988–2017
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 44%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
44% of everyone ever named Rafia was born in this single decade.
2002
Single peak year
11 babies were named Rafia in 2002 - its busiest year on record.
Rafia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rafia splits its recorded history at 1999: 55% of all births land in the more recent half, 45% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1995 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2002 peak of 11 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rafia at a glance
Last recorded 2017Peak year
2002
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1988
Rafia popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1988–2017
- Peak year (2002)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 30 years of records
Rafia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Rafia's strongest decade.
46 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Rafia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 1990s
1990s
46 births
- 2000s
2000s
42 births
- 2010s 11
2010s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 46 births (44% of all-time use).
Rafia by state
Where Rafia concentrates geographically, total births since 1988
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 11 | 10.5% |
New York share of Rafia's total US births 10.5%
11 of 105 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rafia? ▼
Rafia has been given to 105 babies in the U.S. since 1988, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2017. 11 babies were born in 2002, its single highest year.
When was Rafia most popular? ▼
Rafia was most popular in the 1990s decade with 46 total births. The single peak year was 2002.
Where is Rafia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rafia are New York (11 births).
How long has the name Rafia been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Rafia since 1988 -- 30 years through the most recent 2017 data.
What names are similar to Rafia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rafaela, Rafaella, Raffaela, Rafael, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Rafia's data
- Rafia's decade-level peak was the 1990s (46 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Rafias (11 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Rafia
Nearby Names Like Rafia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rafia
Rafaela Girl
#3050 3,516 births
Rafaella Girl
#4001 789 births
Raffaela Girl
756 births
Rafael Girl
568 births
Raffaella Girl
#5985 483 births
Compare Rafia side by side: Rafia vs Rafaela Rafia vs Rafaella Rafia vs Raffaela
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1988–2017 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rafia: Baby Name Since 1988 - 105 Births, Peak 2002." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rafia. 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 Rafia 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 June 2026.