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Yusef

yoo-SEF /juˈsɛf/ Arabic, English

At a glance

In short
Yusef, the mellifluous Arabic form of Joseph, carries the uplifting meaning “God will add or increase,” a promise of abundance whispered across centuries.
U.S. rank 2025
#1,886 of boy names (outside the top 1,000)
Babies in 2025
83 (<0.01% of boys)
Trend
Rising #2,437 in 2020 to #1,886 in 2025
Peak
#1,083 in 1972
First recorded
1962

Meaning of Yusef

Yusef, the mellifluous Arabic form of Joseph, carries the uplifting meaning “God will add or increase,” a promise of abundance whispered across centuries. In the Qur’anic tale of Prophet Yusuf—celebrated for his patience, wisdom, and Technicolor dreamscape of visions—this name glows like a diya in the monsoon dusk, symbolising resilience in the face of life’s dramatic plot twists. Modern admirers may think of singer-songwriter-turned-philanthropist Yusuf Islam or the charismatic Moroccan-American actor Youssef Kerkour, each lending contemporary sheen to the ancient gem. On American birth charts, Yusef has hovered around the 600–900 band since the 1970s, a steady tabla beat rather than a flashy Bollywood drum solo—ideal for parents who want something familiar yet not over-sung. Pronounced yoo-SEF, it rolls off the tongue like a well-played sitar phrase: simple to say, rich to hear. In short, Yusef offers a timeless blend of spiritual depth, multicultural elegance, and just enough rarity to make a young star feel unmistakably his own.

How to pronounce Yusef

Arabic, English

Popularity of Yusef in the U.S.

Yusef was the #1,886 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 83 babies. It peaked at #1,083 in 1972. It first appears in the records in 1962.

Bar and line chart: Yusef in the U.S., 1962–2025. Bars: boys given the name each year, most 104 in 2024 and 83 in 2025. Line: rank among boy names, peak #1,083 in 1972, #1,886 in 2025.
  • Boys named Yusef (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 1962–2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Year-by-year table, 1962⁠–⁠2025 63 rows
Yusef: babies and rank among boy names in the U.S. by year
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
2025831,886▼ 255
20241041,631▲ 613
2023632,244▼ 108
2022692,136▲ 303
2021552,439▼ 2
2020532,437▲ 27
2019542,464▼ 275
2018632,189▲ 51
2017592,240▲ 197
2016522,437▼ 506
2015751,931▼ 24
2014761,907▲ 392
2013552,299▼ 283
2012692,016▼ 69
2011711,947▼ 131
2010801,816▲ 194
2009692,010▼ 208
2008821,802▼ 89
2007881,713▲ 11
2006811,724▲ 219
2005651,943▲ 188
2004552,131▲ 261
2003442,392▼ 476
2002581,916▲ 91
2001532,007▼ 14
2000511,993▼ 90
1999511,903▲ 137
1998462,040▼ 181
1997501,859▼ 119
1996531,740▲ 61
1995481,801▼ 112
1994531,689▲ 10
1993511,699▲ 121
1992451,820▼ 52
1991451,768▼ 204
1990531,564▲ 169
1989441,733▼ 88
1988431,645▲ 996
1987202,641▼ 480
1986262,161▼ 142
1985282,019▼ 223
1984311,796▲ 159
1983271,955▼ 560
1982461,395▲ 16
1981451,411▲ 208
1980361,619▼ 87
1979381,532▼ 122
1978431,410▼ 20
1977431,390▼ 236
1976551,154▲ 126
1975451,280▲ 129
1974371,409▼ 273
1973521,136▼ 53
1972561,083▲ 206
1971421,289▼ 67
1970461,222▲ 506
1969231,728▲ 717
1968122,445▼ 539
1967171,906▲ 1,080
196682,986▼ 369
1965102,617▼ 208
1964122,409back (not recorded in 1963)
196292,848new

Yusef by state

Yusef ranks #829 in Michigan (2025).

Map: Yusef's 2025 rank among boy names in each U.S. state
Rank among boy names by state, 2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Rank by state 7 states
Yusef: rank and babies by state, 2025
StateRankBabies
Michigan8298
Indiana9495
New York1,11910
Pennsylvania1,2315
California1,8298
Florida1,8315
Texas1,9088

Notable people named Yusef

  • Yusef Komunyakaa is an American poet and New York University professor who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1994.
  • Yusef Abdul Lateef was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent member of the Ahmadiyya community.
  • Yusef Salaam is an American politician, activist, and New York City Council member who was exonerated as one of the Central Park Five.
  • Yusef of Morocco — Moulay Yusef ben Hassan, son of Hassan I, was the Alawi sultan of Morocco from 1912 to 1927.
  • Nawab Muhammad Yusef Ali Khan Bahadur ruled Rampur from 1855 to 1865, supporting the British while preserving Mughal arts and welcoming the poet Ghalib.