Holding steady, #5,608 for boys today.
Popularity of Raif since 1967
Babies named Raif per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 7 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 132 |
| 2010s | 135 |
| 2020s | 61 |
Meaning & origin
Raif is an uncommon name in the United States, first recorded in 1967. It reached its peak popularity in 2010, but overall remains rare, with a stable trajectory. In 2025, it ranked 5,608 and was given to roughly 1 in every 106,755 boys. The name is most often associated with New York, its top state. As a variant of the Arabic Ra'if, it carries a meaningful etymology related to mercy and compassion, appealing to parents seeking a distinctive name with cultural depth.
Raif is a variant of the Arabic name Ra'if (رائف), which stems from the root ر-أ-ف (r-'-f) conveying mercy and compassion. It is less common than related names like Rahim and Rahman, but shares the same semantic field. The name has been used in the Middle East and among Muslim communities, though its spelling Raif is more typical in English-speaking contexts.
Where Raif is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Raif” around the world
Where Raif lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Ra'if
Sibling names for Raif
Names that share Raif's style, for a brother or sister.
