Rafferty sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Raffael, Raffael, and Doherty are the closest matches by sound. Most share Rafferty's Irish-rooted cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"flood tide, abundance"
"river"
"bright-headed"
"supplanter"
"overcoming, prevailing"
"courageous, valiant"
"from the ledge farm, shelf settlement"
"defender of men"
"rich in friends"
"grandchild, descendant"
"my help, my helper"
"bold, brave counsel"
"zero, the concept of nothing"
"one who soars to great heights"
"of Zeus, belonging to Zeus"
"protector of people"
"son of Judd, son of the praised one"
"the third (in family lineage)"
"meadow, pasture (possible alternate)"
"stone, solid mass"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Rafferty — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Irish Gaelic (rabhartach) origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Rafferty.
Rhythm: Rafferty is a 3-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.