Francis vs Rafe
Francis 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Francis was ranked #193 and Rafe #201 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Francis was ranked #352 and Rafe #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Francis was ranked #352 and Rafe #352 among boys in Scotland.
Francis and Rafe over time
Francis and Rafe appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Francis held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rafe in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Francis 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.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Francis and Rafe changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2025, ending at #193 and #201.
- Longest-running competitions
Francis and Rafe were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #193 and #201.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Francis held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Rafe in 2.
Highest recorded here: Francis #188 in 1996, Rafe #201 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Francis #193, Rafe #201.
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.
Side by side
| Field | Francis | Rafe |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | 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, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #193 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #201 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Francis and Rafe both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT.
How each name got here
Francis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #74 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2138 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #201 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #201 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys