The Rafferty surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,311 people carried this name — #3,802 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 31,600 people counted. That is up 3% from 9,077 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Rafferty surname

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Rabhartaigh (“descendants of Rabhartach”), a personal name derived from rabharta (“flood, tide”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Rafferty» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 55 births for the Rafferty name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 2,400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim, Tyrone, and Louth.”

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 34
Leinster 17
Connacht 4

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Rafferty was recorded 50 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 526th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 89. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Rafferty in American newspapers,
1889–1905.

Newspaper page from Mineral Point Tribune carrying the name Rafferty
Mineral Point Tribune 1889-12-26
Newspaper page from Bill Barlow'S Budget carrying the name Rafferty
Bill Barlow'S Budget 1890-01-22
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name Rafferty
The Salt Lake Herald 1905-10-08

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 42,229 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Rafferty in Australian newspapers,
1800s–1990s.

7,494 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rafferty. The most, 1,267, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,667
Victoria 1,078
Western Australia 960
Queensland 603
South Australia 552
Tasmania 404
ACT (Canberra) 197
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Rafferty.

Who carried it

People named Rafferty,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Charles D. Rafferty
    Charles D. Rafferty 1879–1949 · head coach
  • James Aloysius Rafferty
    James Aloysius Rafferty 1886–1951 · industrialist
  • Chips Rafferty
    Chips Rafferty 1909–1971 · screenwriter
  • Max Rafferty
    Max Rafferty 1917–1982 · writer
  • Frances Rafferty
    Frances Rafferty 1922–2004 · actor

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 110 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Rafferty,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,173 records

3,173 records of the Rafferty name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 1,073
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 885
  • Other U.S. records 1,215
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John E. Rafferty

    Born 1917 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1942 at Fort George G Meade, Maryland; machine shop worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1944, buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Maggie Rafferty

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Majestic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 30; servant. From Belfast, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James W. Rafferty

    Born 1932; from Allegany County, Maryland. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; declared dead 1950 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 3,173 records for Rafferty in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia409 records

409 records of the Rafferty name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 155
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 81
  • Other Australian records 173
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Catherine Rafferty

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Waverley, sailing from Dublin in 1842. Native of Tyrone. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1843.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Biddy Rafferty

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Martin Luther, sailing from Dublin in 1852. Native of Galway. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1855.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bernard Rafferty

    Arrived in Victoria in 1889 aboard the Iberia, aged 18; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 409 records for Rafferty in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada38 records

38 records of the Rafferty name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 23
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 4
  • Other Canadian records 11
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Silvester Rafferty

    Came to Ontario in 1880 aboard the Grecian, landing at Quebec, bound for Weston, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Catherine Ann Rafferty

    Buried in 1984 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 88.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Frederick Rafferty

    Died 1954 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 38 records for Rafferty in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom22 records

22 records of the Rafferty name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 13
  • Stirling Council burial records 7
  • Other British records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jane Rafferty

    Died 1934, aged 53; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Sophia Rafferty

    Will proved in 1886; of Llandudno, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record William Rafferty

    Died 1917. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Rafferty in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Ireland9 records

9 records of the Rafferty name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Nora Rafferty

    Died 1954, aged 67; buried at Templetogher, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jack Rafferty

    Died 1981, aged 77; buried at Abbeygormican, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patk Rafferty

    Died 1826; buried at Ballinakill_Sean Bhaile Bail na Cille, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Rafferty in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand6 records

6 records of the Rafferty name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 4
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Rafferty

    Died 1910, aged 82; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Rafferty

    Died 1930, aged 70; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Nivard Rafferty

    Buried in 1874 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Rafferty in New Zealand.

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Rafferty name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Annie Rafferty

    Born 1904 in the United Kingdom; died 1990 in Portieux (Vosges).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Rafferty name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Nicolaas Rafferty

    In the population register of Stratum; born 1871 in Sligo, Ireland.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Eindhoven (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Rafferty.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Rafferty is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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