Meaning and background
The story behind Rafferty
Rafferty has an Irish surname history particularly associated with Tyrone and Armagh. The Dictionary of American Family Names traces it through Ó Rabhartaigh to a personal name involving flood tide, with an extended association of abundance or prosperity. The surname therefore records descent from a named ancestor rather than directly describing every modern bearer. This distinction preserves the useful historical imagery without turning it into a promise about a dog's fortune.
- Origin
- Irish surname from Ó Rabhartaigh, descendant of Rabhartach, whose name involves flood tide and hence abundance or prosperity. Source
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About Rafferty
Recorded as a dog’s name
Rafferty appears in 3 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
/ɹæfɚti/
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
/ɹæfɚti/ · primary stress on syllable 1R AE1 F ER0 T IY0
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.