Yousef
Yousef was the 745th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 349 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 725th; the most babies were born in 2025 (349). Over the last ten years it has moved up 44 places. More babies were named Yousef in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Arabic form of Joseph · Arabic, Hebrew
Say it YOO-sef /ˈjusɛf/
- Rank in 2025
- #745 boys, up 120 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 349boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025349 babies
- Total since 1880
- 7,008babies recorded
What does the name Yousef mean?
Yousef is a spelling of Arabic Yūsuf, the equivalent of Joseph, whose story is told in the Quran's twelfth sura as well as in Genesis. Joseph is Hebrew Yosef, explained in Genesis 30:24, where Rachel names her son saying 'May the LORD add another son for me', linking the name to the verb yasaf 'to add'. It is a very common name throughout the Arab and Muslim world.
يُوسُف (Yūsuf) (Arabic, “Joseph”)יוֹסֵף (Yosef) (Biblical Hebrew, “he will add”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Yusuf, Youssef, Joseph, Yosef.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Yousef', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 30:24 (Sefaria, with JPS translation), Sefaria
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joseph', DMNES (Durham University)
Yousef popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 5 since 2018.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #745 | 349 |
| 2020 | #865 | 262 |
| 2010 | #993 | 199 |
| 2000 | #1,020 | 144 |
| 1990 | #1,907 | 41 |
| 1980 | #2,161 | 25 |
| 1970 | #5,427 | 5 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Yousef, counting every spelling?
Yousef is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #548 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #745 for Yousef on its own. Together these spellings went to 547 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yousef | 349 | #745 | 1,489 |
| Youssef | 110 | #1,562 | 602 |
| Yusef | 83 | #1,904 | 374 |
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 Yousef?
349 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Yousef (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Yousef 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 24 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Yousef.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Yousef?
About 6,900 people born in the US named Yousef are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 6 and 21. That makes Yousef a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Yousef by state
How common Yousef was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Illinois (3.5×), Michigan (3.4×), New Jersey (2.8×), Virginia (2.3×), New York (1.9×). 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 Yousef: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Yousef, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Yousef · Sibling names for Yousef
Questions about the name Yousef
What does Yousef mean?
Yousef means “Arabic form of Joseph” (Arabic, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Yousef?
Yousef was the 745th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 349 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 725th; the most babies were born in 2025 (349). Over the last ten years it has moved up 44 places. More babies were named Yousef in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Yousef a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Yousef in the US.
Where is Yousef most popular?
In 2021–2025, Yousef was most common in Illinois (0.60 per 1,000 boys), followed by Michigan and New Jersey.