Mustafa
Mustafa was the 761st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 339 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 146 places. More babies were named Mustafa in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning the chosen one · Arabic
Say it moo-STAH-fuh /muˈstɑfə/
- Rank in 2025
- #761 boys, up 284 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 339boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025339 babies
- Total since 1880
- 7,373babies recorded
What does the name Mustafa mean?
Mustafa comes from Arabic muṣṭafā 'chosen, selected', from the root ṣ-f-w 'to be pure, clear', as Wiktionary notes. Al-Muṣṭafā, 'the Chosen One', is an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad, which made it a popular name among Muslims, especially in the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey (Mustafa Kemal Atatürk).
مُصْطَفَى (muṣṭafā) (Arabic, “chosen, selected”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Mostafa, Moustafa, Mustapha.
See also: Arabic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Mustafa', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'مصطفى', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Mustafa popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #761 | 339 |
| 2020 | #1,045 | 194 |
| 2010 | #1,095 | 176 |
| 2000 | #1,011 | 145 |
| 1990 | #1,275 | 76 |
| 1980 | #1,197 | 59 |
| 1970 | #3,733 | 8 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Mustafa, counting every spelling?
Mustafa is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #720 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #761 for Mustafa on its own. Together these spellings went to 355 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mustafa | 339 | #761 | 1,442 |
| Mustapha | 16 | #5,769 | 74 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Mustafa?
339 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mustafa (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Mustafa born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 25 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mustafa.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mustafa?
About 7,200 people born in the US named Mustafa are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 7 and 26. That makes Mustafa mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Mustafa by state
How common Mustafa was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (3.6×), New York (2.8×), Illinois (2.3×), New Jersey (2.3×), Virginia (2.1×). In 29 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Mustafa: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mustafa, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Mustafa · Sibling names for Mustafa
Questions about the name Mustafa
What does Mustafa mean?
Mustafa means “the chosen one” (Arabic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Mustafa?
Mustafa was the 761st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 339 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 146 places. More babies were named Mustafa in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Mustafa a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Mustafa in the US.
Where is Mustafa most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mustafa was most common in Minnesota (0.59 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Illinois.