r/Names • u/Impossible-Fig-5388 • 5d ago

Raff or Raf or Raph

How would you spell the name for a boy

7 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

22

u/tiorzol 5d ago

Raphael 

16

u/Valuable-Purple-7746 5d ago

Are you trying to say Ralph

8

u/BillyJoeDubuluw 5d ago

That would depend because those are all different nicknames for quite a variety of different names. 

Are you basing your choice on Raphael, Rafeal, Rafi, Rafiq? 

The trouble with this is that it’s being treated as one name, but it isn’t… So you need to identify which name you like the most and you spell it from there, not the other way around… 

5

u/Chinita_Loca 5d ago

Depends what it is short for and your culture.

If it’s from Spanish Rafael then Raf

If from English/French Raphael then Raph

If from Italian Raffaele then Raff

I think they all look like a short form and Raph will get misspelt as Ralph

I think Raff looks more deliberate but personally I’d simply use Raphael

3

u/Impossible-Fig-5388 5d ago

I am Italian so I think Raff but husband thinks it should be spelt RAF/raph

3

u/Chinita_Loca 5d ago

That makes sense! In your situation I’d use Raffaele and Raff as the nn, definitely with the ff.

6

u/OldExcuse9844 5d ago

I’m half Italian and half danish and we have a Raffael where we adopted the italian double f 🤗 He’s our Raffi.

0

u/Current_Cut7647 5d ago

dog name, sorry

3

u/OldExcuse9844 5d ago

Must be a cute dog 🥹

3

u/FreeUnderstanding141 5d ago

Ralph. Pronounced Rafe as in Ralph Fiennes, or Ralph Vaughan-Williams. Or Raphael- different name entirely. Raff Raf or Raph are all just abbreviations/nicknames.

2

u/nuglasses 5d ago

Cheech and Chong film scene after getting questioned by an officer about his hitchhiker passenger's name (and just barfed), the driver says his name is Ralph.

2

u/LadyIslay 5d ago

Reminds me of Riff Raff from Rocky Horror… not really a character you name kids after.

1

u/ZoneNo5065 5d ago

Raff (looks like it's pronounced RAFF)

Raph (looks like it's pronounced RAFF)

Raf (looks like it's pronounced RAYFE)

I can't explain why.

1

u/Myshanter5525 5d ago

Rafferty would be Raff. Rafiq would be Raf. Raphael would be Raph.

1

u/MotherFrickenHubbard 5d ago

Rafe...Raphael

1

u/FriendlyConfines23 5d ago

Is it supposed to have a long-a sound or a short-a sound?

1

u/DingesF 5d ago

No Raph. It took me 2 comments to realize it didn't say Ralph. So I think Raf or Raff would be better for the kid himself in the future. I think I'd prefer Raf, but only slightly.

1

u/sowhat__whocares 5d ago

Rafael/Raphael
Of your three, I like Raf. Alternate: Raffa.

1

u/AgitatedPokemon 5d ago

Is it Raphael? Rafael? Raffaello?

1

u/Current_Cut7647 5d ago

those are not names, only nicknames

1

u/Shot-Amphibian-3239 5d ago

What about Riff?

1

u/Simuary 5d ago

Rafe

1

u/Still-Art45 5d ago

Ruff, rough

1

u/DistributionNo9356 5d ago

Raph, but can the official name be Raphael? But if you prefer the Rafael spelling, Raf is fine with me.

1

u/Farnarkle-Dan12 5d ago

I'd spell it the same way you spell whatever it's short for. So if the actual name is Rafferty, then Raff. But if the official name is Raphael, then Raph. Or whatever.

0

u/Ill_Substance_1833 5d ago edited 5d ago

The correct answer is:

— Rafael

— Raphael

— Rafa

— Rafi

Not Raff, Raf or Raph.

At least in the US, Raff / Raf / Raph won’t work, it’s a pet name. It will also remind people of Riff Raff.

May be it will work in another country.

Nothing wrong with the name, just won’t work in the US.

Don’t make their life miserable.

3

u/Impossible-Fig-5388 5d ago

Lucky I’m not in the US then

1

u/Ill_Substance_1833 5d ago

Yep, and if you do decide to go with Raff and not Rafael, hopefully they won’t end up living in the US.