Namesake.

Youssef

يُوسُف
Boy Arabic (Hebrew origin) /YOO-sef/ #1479 in 2023

Youssef is a boy name of Arabic (Hebrew origin) origin.

Advertisement
Ad slot: 1234567890 (auto)

Meaning of Youssef

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).

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.

Popularity of Youssef

Popularity, 1974–2023
122 births in 2023
1974 2023

3,486 U.S. births recorded from 1974–2023.

Peak year
2017
193 babies
First recorded
1974
49 years of history
Recent trend
Falling
Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Variants & nicknames

YusufYousefYoucefJoseph

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.

Advertisement
Ad slot: 1234567891 (fluid)

Famous people named Youssef

  • Prophet Yusuf
  • Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)

Similar names

Advertisement
Ad slot: 1234567892 (auto)

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.