Raife
Meaning of Raife
Raife is a masculine given name that functions as a contemporary orthographic variant of Ralph, ultimately traceable to the Old Norse Raðulfr—etymologically derived from the Germanic roots raþu, “counsel,” and ulfr, “wolf.” Phonologically, it is rendered in both English and Irish as /reɪf/, exhibiting a streamlined, single-syllable structure consonant with modern Anglo-American naming preferences while retaining an archaic semantic core. Onomastic data from the United States Census Bureau reveal a steady, if modest, upward trajectory: 39 recorded births in 2024 (ranked 885th), rising from 24 (905th) in 2023 and 22 (921st) in 2022, with similar counts in earlier years (17/917 in 2021; 10/908 in 2020; 11/901 in 2018; and 10/872 in 2011). This incremental increase—amid overall low frequency—indicates a selective parental inclination toward a name that combines historical gravitas and semantic precision with contemporary distinctiveness.
Pronunciation
English,Irish
- Pronunced as RAYF (/reɪf/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Raife
| Raife Wellsted - |
