Yusuf
Yusuf was the 450th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 698 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 141 places. More babies were named Yusuf in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning God will add (Arabic form of Joseph) · Hebrew, Arabic
Say it YOO-suf /ˈjusəf/
- Rank in 2025
- #450 boys, up 123 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 698boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025698 babies
- Total since 1880
- 11,455babies recorded
What does the name Yusuf mean?
Yusuf is the Arabic form of Joseph, as Wiktionary notes; Sura 12 of the Quran tells his story (for example 12:4). DMNES glosses the Hebrew Yosef "God will increase", and Genesis 30:24 explains it as Rachel's prayer that God add another son. It is used across the Muslim world.
يُوسُف (Arabic, “Joseph”)יוֹסֵף (Biblical Hebrew, “he will add”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Joseph, Yousef, Youssef, José.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Yusuf', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joseph', DMNES, Durham University
- Hebrew Bible / Tanakh, Genesis 30.24, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- Qur'an 12:4, Arabic text with word-by-word translation (quran.com), Quran.com
Yusuf popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #450 | 698 |
| 2020 | #573 | 487 |
| 2010 | #717 | 324 |
| 2000 | #1,151 | 121 |
| 1990 | #1,701 | 48 |
| 1980 | #1,377 | 48 |
| 1970 | #1,937 | 22 |
| 1960 | #4,596 | 5 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Yusuf, counting every spelling?
Yusuf is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #442 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #450 for Yusuf on its own. Together these spellings went to 711 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yusuf | 698 | #450 | 2,980 |
| Yussuf | 13 | #6,792 | 54 |
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 Yusuf?
698 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Yusuf (0.19 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Yusuf 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 12 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Yusuf.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Yusuf?
About 11,300 people born in the US named Yusuf are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 5 and 19. That makes Yusuf 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.
Yusuf by state
How common Yusuf was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (3.4×), New York (3.3×), Illinois (2.3×), New Jersey (2.1×), Virginia (2.1×). In 22 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 Yusuf: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Yusuf, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Yusuf · Sibling names for Yusuf
Questions about the name Yusuf
What does Yusuf mean?
Yusuf means “God will add (Arabic form of Joseph)” (Hebrew, Arabic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Yusuf?
Yusuf was the 450th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 698 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 141 places. More babies were named Yusuf in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Yusuf a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Yusuf in the US.
Where is Yusuf most popular?
In 2021–2025, Yusuf was most common in Minnesota (1.17 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Illinois.