Is Yusuf a boy or a girl name?

Yusuf is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 10,111 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Yusuf in 2023?

Yusuf ranks #494 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2023 with 610 babies.

How do you pronounce Yusuf?

Yusuf is pronounced YOO-suf (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Yusuf?

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

A name from Arabic · Boy · Prophet

Yusuf

يُوسُف

"God adds, God increases." Arabic form of Joseph. An entire sura of the Qur'an (Surah Yusuf, #12) tells his story — the son of Jacob sold into slavery, risen to power in Egypt, and reunited with his family.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 74-year arc in numbers.

10,111 U.S. births recorded from 1949–2023.

Popularity · 1949–2023

610 births in 2023

1949 1986 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

Y"God adds, God increases." Arabic form of Joseph. An entire sura of the Qur'an (Surah Yusuf, #12) tells his story — the son of Jacob sold into slavery, risen to power in Egypt, and reunited with his family.

Etymology, in one line

Arabic root: Hebrew יוֹסֵף — Yosef — Arabized

Regional variants

"Yusuf" is the classical Qur'anic spelling preferred by religious-leaning US families; "Youssef" is common among Egyptian-Americans. Cross-Abrahamic bridge name — direct counterpart to Hebrew Yosef and English Joseph.

Islamic depth

Prophet in the Qur'an.

Classical commentary, verse references, and what the name means in tradition.

Yūsuf يُوسُف

Yusuf is the prophet whose life story — betrayal by his brothers, servitude, imprisonment, rise to power in Egypt, and reunion with his family — fills Sura 12, described in the Qur’an as "the best of stories" (aḥsanu al-qaṣaṣ).

From the Qur'an

""When Yusuf said to his father, ‘O my father, indeed I have seen eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me.’""

— Qur'an, Yusuf 12:4

""He said, ‘No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you; and He is the most merciful of the merciful.’""

— Qur'an, Yusuf 12:92

The entire Sura Yusuf (111 verses) is devoted to his story — the only sura in the Qur’an to tell one prophet’s narrative from beginning to end.

Variants & spellings

4 ways to spell "Yusuf".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Youssef Most common Yousef Yousuf 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

Related guides

People who carry the name Yusuf.

Y
Yusuf Islam / Cat Stevens (musician)
Y
Yusuf Dikeç (Olympic shooter)

Quick answers

People often ask about Yusuf.

What does the name Yusuf mean?: Yusuf means "God adds, God increases." Arabic form of Joseph. An entire sura of the Qur'an (Surah Yusuf, #12) tells his story — the son of Jacob sold into slavery, risen to power in Egypt, and reunited with his family.
Where does the name Yusuf come from?: Yusuf is a boy name of Arabic origin. "Yusuf" is the classical Qur'anic spelling preferred by religious-leaning US families; "Youssef" is common among Egyptian-Americans.
Is Yusuf a boy or a girl name?: Yusuf is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 10,111 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Yusuf in 2023?: Yusuf ranks #494 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2023 with 610 babies.
How do you pronounce Yusuf?: Yusuf is pronounced YOO-suf (2 syllables).
Is Yusuf mentioned in the Qur'an?: Yusuf is the prophet whose life story — betrayal by his brothers, servitude, imprisonment, rise to power in Egypt, and reunion with his family — fills Sura 12, described in the Qur’an as "the best of stories" (aḥsanu al-qaṣaṣ).
What are common spellings of Yusuf?: Yusuf is also written as Youssef, Yousef, Yousuf, 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.

Yusuf

A 74-year arc in numbers.

A name that means something.

Prophet in the Qur'an.

4 ways to spell "Yusuf".

Joseph / Yusuf / Yosef

Read more in the Almanac.

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

People who carry the name Yusuf.

People often ask about Yusuf.

If you love Yusuf, also consider…

About this page