An Irish surname, recently in vogue and rising.
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Origin: |
The Anglicised form the Irish Gaelic surname O'Raifeartaigh (or O'Raithbheartaigh). Rafferty has occasionally been used as an Anglicised form of O'Robhartaigh, from robharta meaning "flood tide." More properly, this is Anglicised as Roarty, but since the Rafferty coat of arms depicts two fish, it is possible that at one point the two forms were treated as the same. |
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Usage: |
The O'Rafferty family hail from the counties of Donegal and Sligo. In Donegal the family were coarbs of St. Columba on Tory Island, while in Sligo the family were known as one of the "seven pillars of Skreen." As with most surnames, the name has had some usage as a first name, though in Rafferty's case it has been extremely rare. Much of its usage has been as a middle name, and I can only find a handful of examples of it being used as first name before the 21st century. That all changed in the 1990s. From 1991-1995 Rafferty was used 4 times in England and Wales (given to two girls, and two boys) but unlike previous usage, this time it was used every year. In 1996, Jude Law and Sadie Frost named their eldest son Rafferty Jellicoe Frost Law, and the rising profile of the actor no doubt helped to raise the profile of the name. It certainly seems to be from this point that the name moved into the domain of boys' names. Rafferty has been steadily rising in England and Wales since the turn of the 21st century: 2000: #2501 (4 births) The name is used far less in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It was used once in Scotland in 2010, but not at all in 2009 or 2011. It was registered once or twice in Northern Ireland in 2004, 2007 and 2009. |
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Famous Bearers: |
* Chips Rafferty (1909–1971), Australian actor. |
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Variants: |
O'Rafferty |
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Pronunciation: |
RAF-ə-tee [key] |
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Possible Diminutives: |
Rafe, Raff, Raffy, Taffy |
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Sibling Names: |
Willa Ottilie Pearl Zara Kinvara Fleur |
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Name Lists: |
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