Namesake.

Musa

مُوسَى
Boy Arabic/Hebrew /MOO-sah/ #653 in 2023

Musa is a boy name of Arabic/Hebrew origin.

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Meaning of Musa

"Drawn out of the water." Arabic form of Moses. The prophet whose story is told more times than any other in the Qur'an — mentioned in over 30 surahs.

Arabic root: From Hebrew Moshe — (מֹשֶׁה) via Arabic

Regional variants

Cross-Abrahamic bridge name — direct counterpart to Jewish Moshe and Christian Moses. Strong in West African Muslim families (often spelled Moussa).

Popularity of Musa

Popularity, 1970–2023
418 births in 2023
1970 2023

4,888 U.S. births recorded from 1970–2023.

Peak year
2023
418 babies
First recorded
1970
53 years of history
Recent trend
Rising
Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Prophet

مُوسَى

Mūsā

Musa (Moses) is the prophet sent to Pharaoh and Bani Isra’il, recipient of the Tawrat (Torah), and the most-mentioned prophet in the Qur’an. His dialogues with God on Mount Sinai and his confrontations with Pharaoh are recounted across many surahs.

From the Qur’an

"Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance."

— Qur’an, Ta-Ha 20:14

"And We inspired to the mother of Musa, ‘Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river…’"

— Qur’an, Al-Qasas 28:7

Musa is named 136 times in the Qur’an — more than any other prophet.

Variants & nicknames

MousaMoussaMoses

Moses / Musa / Moshe

The prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt and received the Torah at Sinai. Named in the Qur’an more than any other prophet (136 times); central to Exodus.

Related guide

30 Quranic Baby Names for Boys and Girls (With Verses)

30 names drawn from the Qur’an — prophets, named and referenced women, and meaningful Arabic concepts — each with its verse reference and classical meaning.

Read the full guide →
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Famous people named Musa

  • Musa (Qur'anic prophet)
  • Mansa Musa (Malian emperor)

Similar names

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meaning and cultural context drawn from classical sources: Lisan al-Arab, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qur'an and Sunnah. If you spot an error, please let us know.