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Yusuf Name Meaning & Historical Trends

Yusuf

Pronunciation: YOO-suf

Meaning God will increase Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#450
TREND
25
Peak Years
2025, 2024, 2023
Lowest Years
1949, 1960, 1961
Energy Archetype
Independent & Philosophical

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Yusuf in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Yusuf

  • More than 11 thousand babies named Yusuf: U.S. records list 11,453 babies given the name Yusuf from 1880 through 2025.

What Does the Name Yusuf Mean?

Yusuf is the Arabic form of Joseph. The name goes back to the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף), which is commonly explained from the root y-s-p, meaning 'to add.' The literal sense is 'he will add' or 'may he add'; the familiar meaning 'God will increase' treats God as the implied subject. Arabic has the form Yūsuf (يوسف), and the spelling Yusuf is a transliteration of that Arabic form.

The Hebrew name is not built from an Arabic root. Yusuf is best understood as the Arabic reflex of a name shared across Semitic languages, not as an independent Arabic coinage. The same name appears in other traditions as Yosef in Hebrew, Joseph in English, Youssef in North African Arabic, and Iosif in Greek and Russian. The meaning 'God will increase' is a customary interpretation rather than a word-for-word translation.

Yusuf Name History & Origins

The Arabic form Yūsuf is the one used in the Qur'an, where Yusuf is the central figure of Surah 12, Surah Yusuf. The Qur'anic account follows the main outline of the biblical story of Joseph: the dreams, the brothers' jealousy, the well, slavery in Egypt, and eventual reconciliation. The surah calls the story 'the best of stories' (12:3). Because of this scriptural role, the name is especially associated with the prophet Yusuf in Islamic tradition.

The Hebrew Bible presents Yosef as the son of Jacob and Rachel. In Genesis 30:24, Rachel names him with words that connect the name to adding: 'May the LORD add to me another son.' The name appears in Greek as Ἰωσήφ (Iōsēph) and in Latin as Ioseph, forms that led to Joseph in English and to related names in European languages. The Arabic form developed within Arabic phonology and script; it is not merely a transliteration of Latin or Greek.

Yusuf is used by Muslims, Arabic-speaking Christians, and Arabic-speaking Jews. Transliterations vary, giving spellings such as Yousuf, Yousif, and Youssef. These reflect different ways of rendering the Arabic letters and vowels in Latin script rather than separate origin stories.

How Popular is the Name Yusuf?

Yusuf recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #450 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.

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 Yusuf Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual. You hate bondage in any form. You have love of beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You are willing to take spiritual matters on faith instead of subjecting them to mental analysis. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.

You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.

✦ Yusuf's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Yusuf's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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