Yusef
Yusef was the 1904th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 83 babies. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 1097th; the most babies were born in 2024 (104). Over the last ten years it has moved up 48 places. More babies were named Yusef in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Yousef) Arabic form of Joseph · Arabic, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #1,904 boys, up 561 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 83boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2024104 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,116babies recorded
What does the name Yusef mean?
Yusef is a spelling of Yousef, pronounced the same way, so it shares Yousef's meaning and origin.
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)
Yusef popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,904 | 83 |
| 2020 | #2,465 | 53 |
| 2010 | #1,832 | 80 |
| 2000 | #2,013 | 51 |
| 1990 | #1,586 | 53 |
| 1980 | #1,654 | 36 |
| 1970 | #1,237 | 46 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Yusef, counting every spelling?
Yusef is a spelling of Yousef, a name family that ranked #548 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,904 for Yusef 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 Yusef?
83 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Yusef (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Yusef 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 101 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Yusef.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Yusef?
About 3,000 people born in the US named Yusef are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 12 and 38. That makes Yusef 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.
Yusef by state
How common Yusef was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (2.6×), New York (2.6×). In 41 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 Yusef: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Yusef, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Yusef
What does Yusef mean?
Yusef is a spelling of Yousef, which means “Arabic form of Joseph” (Arabic, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Yusef?
Yusef was the 1904th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 83 babies. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 1097th; the most babies were born in 2024 (104). Over the last ten years it has moved up 48 places. More babies were named Yusef in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Yusef a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Yusef in the US.
Where is Yusef most popular?
In 2021–2025, Yusef was most common in Michigan (0.11 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and California.