The Raif Last Name

Written in a baptism entry or a ship's list, Raif usually leads back to Reif. Its meaning, shared with Reif, is “A descendant of Rifo, a pet form of Ricfrid”. Raif writes “a” in place of the “e” found in Reif, a common scribal difference. Before spelling was standardised, one family could appear under several forms. Related forms: Riff, Reiff and Reifer.

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Raif, so the heraldry linked to Reif is a starting point, not an automatic right. Get the complete Raif report, with a museum-style coat of arms.