Fun Facts About the Name Moustafa
- 356 babies named Moustafa: U.S. records list 356 babies given the name Moustafa from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Moustafa Mean?
Moustafa is a transliteration variant of the Arabic Muṣṭafā (مصطفى), meaning "the chosen one." It comes from the Arabic root ṣ-f-w, seen in ṣafā, "to be pure, clear," and in ṣafī, "pure, sincere." The name is a participle of the tenth verb stem, istaṣfā, "to choose or select for oneself," so muṣṭafā literally means "the one chosen." In Islamic usage, al-Muṣṭafā, "the Chosen One," is a traditional epithet of the Prophet Muhammad, and the name's currency is tied to that usage rather than to a symbolic meaning added later.
Moustafa Name History & Origins
The name spread with the rise of Islam and is used across the Arabic-speaking world, Turkey, Iran, and South Asia, most often in the form Mustafa or Muṣṭafā. The spelling Moustafa, with ou, follows French transliteration practice, in which ou stands for the vowel /u/. This spelling is common in Egypt, the Maghreb, Lebanon, and other French-influenced regions, while Mustafa and Mustapha dominate elsewhere.
Several Ottoman sultans bore the name, among them Mustafa I (ruled 1617 - 1618 and 1622 - 1623), Mustafa II (1695 - 1703), Mustafa III (1757 - 1774), and Mustafa IV (1807 - 1808). Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic, was given the name Mustafa at his birth in 1881 and later took the additional name Kemal. Because al-Muṣṭafā is an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad, the name has a long, continuous record of use in Muslim societies in both religious and everyday contexts.
How Popular is the Name Moustafa?
Moustafa has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1999. Its best rank was #3,933 in 1999.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,277 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #10,533 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #11,790 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #10,438 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #9,274 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #9,463 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #7,976 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #9,422 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #10,384 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #9,296 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #9,352 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #6,140 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #13,690 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #7,957 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #8,770 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #9,578 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #8,689 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #6,767 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #5,785 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #8,673 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #7,078 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #8,206 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #4,621 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2000 | #6,681 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #3,933 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #4,570 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #4,860 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #4,798 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #6,248 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #4,716 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #6,637 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #5,987 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #6,334 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #9,062 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1989 | #7,615 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #5,556 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #5,296 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #6,270 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Moustafa Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Moustafa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Moustafa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.