Fun Facts About the Name Mustafa
- More than 7 thousand babies named Mustafa: U.S. records list 7,370 babies given the name Mustafa from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Mustafa Mean?
Mustafa is an Arabic name meaning "chosen" or "the chosen one." It comes from the Arabic root ṣ-ṭ-f, specifically from the verb iṣṭafā (a Form VIII verb), which means "to choose" or "to select for oneself." The name Muṣṭafā is built from that verb, and its literal sense is "the one who has been chosen." It is a passive or receptive form rather than a statement about the person doing the choosing, so the customary English rendering "chosen one" matches the literal Arabic meaning closely. The name is used across the Arabic-speaking world and by Muslims in many other countries, where it also appears as Mostafa in Persian and Mustafa in Turkish, Urdu, and Bosnian.
Mustafa Name History & Origins
Mustafa is an Arabic given name that spread with the growth of Islam. In Islamic tradition it is strongly associated with the Prophet Muhammad, who is given the honorific al-Muṣṭafā, "the chosen one," alongside titles such as al-Muṣṭafā and al-Amīn. Because of that association, the name has been widely used by both Sunni and Shia Muslims for centuries as a personal name rather than only as a title.
As Islam expanded, the name entered the languages of the regions it reached. In Turkish it became a common male given name, and four Ottoman sultans bore it: Mustafa I, Mustafa II, Mustafa III, and Mustafa IV. It also took root in Persian-speaking and South Asian Muslim communities (often written Mostafa), in the Balkans, and in other areas with large Muslim populations. The founder of the modern Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, received Mustafa as one of his given names at birth; the name Kemal was added later. These are examples of the name's long presence in different societies rather than claims about why any single period of use rose or fell.
How Popular is the Name Mustafa?
Mustafa recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #761 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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #761 | 339 | 0.0198% |
| 2024 | #820 | 304 | 0.0177% |
| 2023 | #883 | 263 | 0.0154% |
| 2022 | #877 | 275 | 0.0158% |
| 2021 | #886 | 261 | 0.0149% |
| 2020 | #1,045 | 194 | 0.0112% |
| 2019 | #994 | 211 | 0.0118% |
| 2018 | #904 | 240 | 0.0132% |
| 2017 | #909 | 235 | 0.0127% |
| 2016 | #920 | 234 | 0.0123% |
| 2015 | #907 | 238 | 0.0124% |
| 2014 | #913 | 235 | 0.0122% |
| 2013 | #903 | 231 | 0.0122% |
| 2012 | #908 | 228 | 0.0120% |
| 2011 | #930 | 215 | 0.0113% |
| 2010 | #1,095 | 176 | 0.0092% |
| 2009 | #1,000 | 197 | 0.0099% |
| 2008 | #1,207 | 146 | 0.0072% |
| 2007 | #1,019 | 187 | 0.0090% |
| 2006 | #1,115 | 157 | 0.0076% |
| 2005 | #1,090 | 152 | 0.0076% |
| 2004 | #1,088 | 146 | 0.0074% |
| 2003 | #1,043 | 150 | 0.0076% |
| 2002 | #946 | 170 | 0.0088% |
| 2001 | #994 | 154 | 0.0079% |
| 2000 | #1,011 | 145 | 0.0074% |
| 1999 | #1,105 | 121 | 0.0063% |
| 1998 | #1,007 | 136 | 0.0071% |
| 1997 | #1,072 | 119 | 0.0063% |
| 1996 | #1,045 | 117 | 0.0062% |
| 1995 | #1,149 | 100 | 0.0053% |
| 1994 | #1,087 | 107 | 0.0055% |
| 1993 | #1,236 | 85 | 0.0043% |
| 1992 | #1,335 | 72 | 0.0036% |
| 1991 | #1,230 | 82 | 0.0041% |
| 1990 | #1,275 | 76 | 0.0037% |
| 1989 | #1,253 | 75 | 0.0037% |
| 1988 | #1,302 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 1987 | #1,228 | 63 | 0.0034% |
| 1986 | #1,333 | 55 | 0.0030% |
| 1985 | #1,177 | 64 | 0.0035% |
| 1984 | #1,247 | 55 | 0.0030% |
| 1983 | #1,139 | 63 | 0.0035% |
| 1982 | #1,103 | 69 | 0.0038% |
| 1981 | #1,122 | 67 | 0.0037% |
| 1980 | #1,197 | 59 | 0.0033% |
| 1979 | #1,416 | 44 | 0.0026% |
| 1978 | #1,341 | 47 | 0.0029% |
| 1977 | #1,421 | 42 | 0.0026% |
| 1976 | #2,094 | 23 | 0.0015% |
| 1975 | #2,335 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1974 | #3,742 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1973 | #4,361 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #4,792 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #2,769 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1970 | #3,733 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #3,286 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #4,367 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #3,246 | 8 | 0.0004% |
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 Mustafa 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.
✦ Mustafa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mustafa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.