Cooper vs Rafe

Cooper and Rafecompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cooper was ranked #121 and Rafe #352 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cooper was ranked #139 and Rafe #247 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Cooper was ranked #147 and Rafe #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.

Cooper and Rafe over time

Cooper and Rafe appear together in 1 published list, across 27 years of shared records. Cooper held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rafe in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Cooper reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Rafe in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Cooper held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Rafe in 7.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #134 in 2019, Rafe #210 in 2022.
The order changed in 2007: Cooper moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #677 and #631; by 2007 that had become #509 and #711.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cooper #139, Rafe #247.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Cooper

Pairs where Cooper shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Cooper vs Max
Cooper and Max changed places 12 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1998 and 2025, ending at #19 and #30.
Cooper · Max · 28 shared years, 1998–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2025 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Liam vs Cooper
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Liam #1 in 2010, Cooper #12 in 2012.
Liam · Cooper · 18 shared years, 2006–2023 · Peaked in the same years
See the 2012 New Zealand ranking
Oliver vs Cooper
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Oliver #1 in 2013, Cooper #12 in 2012.
Oliver · Cooper · 18 shared years, 2006–2023 · Peaked in the same years
See the 2013 New Zealand ranking
William vs Cooper
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — William #1 in 2009, Cooper #4 in 2009.
William · Cooper · 28 shared years, 1998–2025 · Peaked in the same years
See the 2009 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Cooper, Rafe
Field	Cooper	Rafe
Record type	Editorially researched profile	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	male	male
Meaning	An English occupational surname meaning 'barrel maker', from Middle English 'couper'.	Not yet recorded
Origin	English (occupational surname)	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	/ˈkup.əɹ/	Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT
Most recent popularity observation	New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025)	England and Wales · Boys #247 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	88/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Cooper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Rafe does not have one recorded yet.
Cooper and Rafe both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Cooper; Rafe doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT.

How each name got here

Cooper

Popularity journey

First recorded1997
First recorded at #2022 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1998–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Rafe

Popularity journey

First recorded1996
First recorded at #1040 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #210 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #247 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys