Rafe is a given name for a male used in many countries across the world. If the name is English, Scandinavian or German it is of Old Norse origin (meaning "counsel of the wolf" or "wise wolf"), derived from the Old Norse Raðulfr (rað "counsel" + ulfr "wolf") through Old English Rædwulf. When the name is Italian, Spanish, Portuguese or Hebrew it is often a short form of Rafael.