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
- Pronounced yoo-SEF /juˈsɛf/
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.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1962–2025 63 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 83 | 1,886 | ▼ 255 |
| 2024 | 104 | 1,631 | ▲ 613 |
| 2023 | 63 | 2,244 | ▼ 108 |
| 2022 | 69 | 2,136 | ▲ 303 |
| 2021 | 55 | 2,439 | ▼ 2 |
| 2020 | 53 | 2,437 | ▲ 27 |
| 2019 | 54 | 2,464 | ▼ 275 |
| 2018 | 63 | 2,189 | ▲ 51 |
| 2017 | 59 | 2,240 | ▲ 197 |
| 2016 | 52 | 2,437 | ▼ 506 |
| 2015 | 75 | 1,931 | ▼ 24 |
| 2014 | 76 | 1,907 | ▲ 392 |
| 2013 | 55 | 2,299 | ▼ 283 |
| 2012 | 69 | 2,016 | ▼ 69 |
| 2011 | 71 | 1,947 | ▼ 131 |
| 2010 | 80 | 1,816 | ▲ 194 |
| 2009 | 69 | 2,010 | ▼ 208 |
| 2008 | 82 | 1,802 | ▼ 89 |
| 2007 | 88 | 1,713 | ▲ 11 |
| 2006 | 81 | 1,724 | ▲ 219 |
| 2005 | 65 | 1,943 | ▲ 188 |
| 2004 | 55 | 2,131 | ▲ 261 |
| 2003 | 44 | 2,392 | ▼ 476 |
| 2002 | 58 | 1,916 | ▲ 91 |
| 2001 | 53 | 2,007 | ▼ 14 |
| 2000 | 51 | 1,993 | ▼ 90 |
| 1999 | 51 | 1,903 | ▲ 137 |
| 1998 | 46 | 2,040 | ▼ 181 |
| 1997 | 50 | 1,859 | ▼ 119 |
| 1996 | 53 | 1,740 | ▲ 61 |
| 1995 | 48 | 1,801 | ▼ 112 |
| 1994 | 53 | 1,689 | ▲ 10 |
| 1993 | 51 | 1,699 | ▲ 121 |
| 1992 | 45 | 1,820 | ▼ 52 |
| 1991 | 45 | 1,768 | ▼ 204 |
| 1990 | 53 | 1,564 | ▲ 169 |
| 1989 | 44 | 1,733 | ▼ 88 |
| 1988 | 43 | 1,645 | ▲ 996 |
| 1987 | 20 | 2,641 | ▼ 480 |
| 1986 | 26 | 2,161 | ▼ 142 |
| 1985 | 28 | 2,019 | ▼ 223 |
| 1984 | 31 | 1,796 | ▲ 159 |
| 1983 | 27 | 1,955 | ▼ 560 |
| 1982 | 46 | 1,395 | ▲ 16 |
| 1981 | 45 | 1,411 | ▲ 208 |
| 1980 | 36 | 1,619 | ▼ 87 |
| 1979 | 38 | 1,532 | ▼ 122 |
| 1978 | 43 | 1,410 | ▼ 20 |
| 1977 | 43 | 1,390 | ▼ 236 |
| 1976 | 55 | 1,154 | ▲ 126 |
| 1975 | 45 | 1,280 | ▲ 129 |
| 1974 | 37 | 1,409 | ▼ 273 |
| 1973 | 52 | 1,136 | ▼ 53 |
| 1972 | 56 | 1,083 | ▲ 206 |
| 1971 | 42 | 1,289 | ▼ 67 |
| 1970 | 46 | 1,222 | ▲ 506 |
| 1969 | 23 | 1,728 | ▲ 717 |
| 1968 | 12 | 2,445 | ▼ 539 |
| 1967 | 17 | 1,906 | ▲ 1,080 |
| 1966 | 8 | 2,986 | ▼ 369 |
| 1965 | 10 | 2,617 | ▼ 208 |
| 1964 | 12 | 2,409 | back (not recorded in 1963) |
| 1962 | 9 | 2,848 | new |
Yusef by state
Yusef ranks #829 in Michigan (2025).
Rank by state 7 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 829 | 8 |
| Indiana | 949 | 5 |
| New York | 1,119 | 10 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,231 | 5 |
| California | 1,829 | 8 |
| Florida | 1,831 | 5 |
| Texas | 1,908 | 8 |
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.