Meaning and background
The story behind Raff
Raff has different surname explanations in German and in English or Scottish naming. German accounts include a nickname for a tall, thin person and a personal name whose origin remains unexplained; English and Scottish forms relate to Ralph. The spelling therefore does not identify one universal meaning. A dog owner preserving a family name can keep Raff while acknowledging that the nickname and personal-name routes are independent.
- Origin
- German nickname or unexplained personal-name surname; separately English/Scottish variant of Ralph. Source
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Everyday moments“Raff, come here!”
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About Raff
Recorded as a dog’s name
Raff appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/ɹæf/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/ɹæf/ · primary stress on syllable 1R AE1 F
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.