Is Mustafa a boy or a girl name?

Mustafa is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 6,730 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Mustafa in 2023?

Mustafa ranks #885 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2022 with 275 babies.

How do you pronounce Mustafa?

Mustafa is pronounced MOOS-tah-fah (3 syllables).

What are common spellings of Mustafa?

Mustafa is also written as Moustafa, Mostafa, Mustapha.

A name from Arabic · Boy

Mustafa

مُصْطَفَى

"The chosen one, the selected." One of the epithets of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — Al-Muṣṭafā, "the Chosen One of God."

Compare

Popularity over time

A 60-year arc in numbers.

6,730 U.S. births recorded from 1963–2023.

Popularity · 1963–2023

263 births in 2023

1963 1993 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

M"The chosen one, the selected." One of the epithets of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — Al-Muṣṭafā, "the Chosen One of God."

Etymology, in one line

Arabic root: ṣ-f-w — ص-ف-و, to choose, select

Regional variants

Strongly associated with the Prophet ﷺ, so families often pair it with a second given name. "Mustafa" is the standard US/Turkish spelling; "Mostafa" is Egyptian.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Mustafa".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Moustafa Most common Mostafa Mustapha

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Mustafa.

M
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (founder of modern Turkey)
M
Mustafa the Poet (Canadian rapper)

Quick answers

People often ask about Mustafa.

What does the name Mustafa mean?: Mustafa means "The chosen one, the selected." One of the epithets of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — Al-Muṣṭafā, "the Chosen One of God.".
Where does the name Mustafa come from?: Mustafa is a boy name of Arabic origin. Strongly associated with the Prophet ﷺ, so families often pair it with a second given name.
Is Mustafa a boy or a girl name?: Mustafa is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 6,730 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Mustafa in 2023?: Mustafa ranks #885 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2022 with 275 babies.
How do you pronounce Mustafa?: Mustafa is pronounced MOOS-tah-fah (3 syllables).
What are common spellings of Mustafa?: Mustafa is also written as Moustafa, Mostafa, Mustapha.

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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.