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At a Glance: Name: Rafferty – Meaning: descendant of Rabhartach, a name rooted in the word for flood or spring tide – Origin: Irish (Ó Rabhartaigh surname) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: RAF-ur-tee
Rafferty is a boy's name of Irish origin, drawn from the surname Ó Rabhartaigh and literally meaning 'descendant of Rabhartach' — a name rooted in the word for flood or spring tide. You might come across the claim that it means 'prosperity' or 'abundance,' but that's a poetic stretch rather than the attested root, which ties back to rabharta, the flood or spring tide. It's pronounced RAF-ur-tee (/ˈræfərti/).
Meaning & Origin of Rafferty
Meaning: Descendant of rabhartach, a name rooted in the word for flood or spring tide.
Origin: Irish (Ó Rabhartaigh surname).
A common claim: Rafferty is popularly said to mean 'prosperity' or 'abundance.' Actually: That's a poetic extension, not the attested root — the literal meaning is 'rabharta' (flood/spring tide).
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Rafferty
Phonetic: RAF-ur-tee IPA: /ˈræfərti/
Popularity of Rafferty
In U.S. Social Security data spanning 1987 to 2024, Rafferty has stayed rare, with its 2024 ranking of #5182 and 19 babies given the name marking both its latest count and its highest ranking on record.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1987–2024.
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Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Rafferty mean?
Descendant of rabhartach, a name rooted in the word for flood or spring tide. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Rafferty)
How do you pronounce Rafferty?
Rafferty is pronounced RAF-ur-tee (IPA: /ˈræfərti/).
Is Rafferty a popular name right now?
Rafferty is at its highest recorded popularity right now, ranked #5182 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1987–2024.)
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