Is Youssef a boy or a girl name?

Youssef is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 3,488 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Youssef in 2023?

Youssef ranks #1483 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2017 with 193 babies.

How do you pronounce Youssef?

Youssef is pronounced YOO-sef (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Youssef?

Youssef is also written as Yusuf, Yousef, Youcef, Joseph.

A name from Arabic (Hebrew origin) · Boy

Youssef

يُوسُف

The Prophet Joseph, son of Jacob. Surah Yusuf (12) is dedicated to his story in full — described by the Qur'an itself as "the best of stories" (aḥsan al-qaṣaṣ).

Compare

Popularity over time

A 49-year arc in numbers.

3,488 U.S. births recorded from 1974–2023.

Popularity · 1974–2023

122 births in 2023

1974 1998 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

YThe Prophet Joseph, son of Jacob. Surah Yusuf (12) is dedicated to his story in full — described by the Qur'an itself as "the best of stories" (aḥsan al-qaṣaṣ).

Etymology, in one line

Arabic root: Hebrew יוסף — Yosef, "God shall add"

Regional variants

"Yusuf" is the classical spelling preferred in the US; "Youssef" is common among Egyptian and Moroccan families. The Hebrew cognate "Joseph" creates a rare bridge name recognized by Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Americans alike.

Variants & spellings

4 ways to spell "Youssef".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Yusuf Most common Yousef Youcef Joseph

Name family

Joseph / Yusuf / Yosef

The prophet Joseph, son of Jacob, sold into Egypt and risen to vizier. His story is told in Surah Yusuf (the Qur’an’s only chapter dedicated to a single prophet) and in Genesis 37–50.

Yusuf يُوسُف

Arabic

Youssef

Arabic (Maghrebi)

Yousef

Arabic (Levantine)

Yosef יוֹסֵף

Hebrew

Joseph

English / Greek (Iōsēph)

Giuseppe

Italian

José

Spanish

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Youssef.

Y
Prophet Yusuf
Y
Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)

Quick answers

People often ask about Youssef.

What does the name Youssef mean?: Youssef means the Prophet Joseph, son of Jacob. Surah Yusuf (12) is dedicated to his story in full — described by the Qur'an itself as "the best of stories" (aḥsan al-qaṣaṣ).
Where does the name Youssef come from?: Youssef is a boy name of Arabic (Hebrew origin) origin. "Yusuf" is the classical spelling preferred in the US; "Youssef" is common among Egyptian and Moroccan families.
Is Youssef a boy or a girl name?: Youssef is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 3,488 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Youssef in 2023?: Youssef ranks #1483 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2017 with 193 babies.
How do you pronounce Youssef?: Youssef is pronounced YOO-sef (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Youssef?: Youssef is also written as Yusuf, Yousef, Youcef, Joseph.

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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.