Rafe is a variant of the name Ralph, which became common during the 17th century, reflecting the usual pronunciation. In Hebrew orthography, the term 'rafe' or 'raphe' (Hebrew: רָפֶה, pronounced [ʁaˈfe], meaning "weak, limp") refers to a diacritic used to indicate that certain letters are to be pronounced as fricatives. This usage originated with the Tiberian Masoretes as part of the extended system of niqqud (vowel points).