Fun Facts About the Name Musa
- More than 6 thousand babies named Musa: U.S. records list 6,136 babies given the name Musa from 1880 through 2025. Even 31 girls received the name Musa - about 1 girl for every 197 boys.
What Does the Name Musa Mean?
Musa is the Arabic form of the name Moses, and it is usually explained as meaning "drawn out" (of water). The Hebrew name behind it, Moshe, is connected in the Book of Exodus with the verb mashah, "to draw out," because the infant Moses was drawn from the Nile. That link is a traditional wordplay rather than a settled etymology. Many scholars instead trace the name to an Egyptian element meaning "is born" or "child of," which appears in ancient Egyptian names such as Thutmose ("born of Thoth"). The Arabic Musa corresponds regularly to the Hebrew name, since Hebrew sh often matches Arabic s, and the final -a is the Arabic shape of the name. In ordinary use in Muslim communities, Musa is simply the Arabic name of the prophet Moses, and "drawn out" is the customary meaning attached to it.
Musa Name History & Origins
Musa is the name of Moses in the Quran, where he is one of the most frequently mentioned prophets, appearing in accounts of his rescue from the river as a baby, his confrontations with Pharaoh, the crossing of the sea, and the receiving of the Torah. Through the Quran and later Islamic tradition, the name spread wherever Arabic and Islam spread, and it remains common in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, the Balkans, Iran, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, as well as among Swahili speakers in East Africa. Arabic-speaking Christians also use Musa for Moses, alongside forms such as Moussa in the Maghreb and Moosa in South Asian transliteration.
A widely known historical bearer was Mansa Musa, the fourteenth-century ruler of the Mali Empire, remembered for his wealth and his pilgrimage to Mecca. The name also appears in Ottoman history in the person of Musa Çelebi, a prince who fought for control of the Ottoman state during the civil war of the early fifteenth century.
How Popular is the Name Musa?
Musa recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #470 in 2025.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | #5,390 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1922 | #3,907 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1920 | #5,530 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1918 | #3,759 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1891 | #1,473 | 5 | 0.0027% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #470 | 651 | 0.0381% |
| 2024 | #525 | 566 | 0.0330% |
| 2023 | #653 | 418 | 0.0245% |
| 2022 | #719 | 366 | 0.0210% |
| 2021 | #747 | 341 | 0.0195% |
| 2020 | #744 | 326 | 0.0189% |
| 2019 | #797 | 288 | 0.0161% |
| 2018 | #747 | 317 | 0.0175% |
| 2017 | #831 | 268 | 0.0145% |
| 2016 | #951 | 219 | 0.0115% |
| 2015 | #930 | 228 | 0.0119% |
| 2014 | #1,000 | 206 | 0.0107% |
| 2013 | #1,213 | 148 | 0.0078% |
| 2012 | #1,108 | 168 | 0.0089% |
| 2011 | #1,294 | 133 | 0.0070% |
| 2010 | #1,319 | 130 | 0.0068% |
| 2009 | #1,464 | 114 | 0.0057% |
| 2008 | #1,628 | 96 | 0.0047% |
| 2007 | #1,473 | 109 | 0.0053% |
| 2006 | #1,497 | 102 | 0.0050% |
| 2005 | #1,881 | 68 | 0.0034% |
| 2004 | #1,923 | 64 | 0.0032% |
| 2003 | #2,022 | 57 | 0.0029% |
| 2002 | #1,909 | 59 | 0.0030% |
| 2001 | #2,411 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2000 | #2,007 | 51 | 0.0026% |
| 1999 | #2,087 | 46 | 0.0024% |
| 1998 | #2,338 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 1997 | #2,534 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 1996 | #2,100 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 1995 | #2,536 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1994 | #3,004 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1993 | #3,114 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1992 | #2,509 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1991 | #2,519 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1990 | #3,269 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #2,964 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1988 | #2,922 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1987 | #3,032 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1986 | #3,378 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1985 | #4,243 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #2,503 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1983 | #2,756 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1982 | #2,666 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1981 | #3,774 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #3,372 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #3,113 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #3,335 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1977 | #3,520 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1976 | #3,406 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1975 | #3,372 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1974 | #3,496 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1973 | #2,968 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #3,094 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1971 | #5,422 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #5,216 | 5 | 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 Musa 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. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Musa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Musa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.