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Youssef

♂ Boy

Pronounced YOO-suhf /ˈju.səf/Medium

Meaning: The Arabic form of Joseph, from Hebrew 'Yosef' meaning 'God will add' or 'he will increase'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Youssef is the Arabic form of Joseph, from the Hebrew Yosef, meaning 'God will add' or 'he will increase'.

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Origin MediumArabic, Hebrew

MeaningThe Arabic form of Joseph, from Hebrew 'Yosef' meaning 'God will add' or 'he will increase'.

U.S. rank (2025)#1562 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births110 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2017

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,703

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Youssef brings the Hebrew name Yosef into Arabic, carrying the meaning 'God will add' or 'he will increase'. Joseph is honored across Jewish, Christian, and Muslim tradition, and Youssef is its widely used Arabic spelling. The name links families to a figure shared by all three faiths.

It appears in many spellings, including Yusuf, Yousef, Yousuf, and Yusef, depending on how the Arabic vowels are transliterated. The shared root keeps them all clearly the same name.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Youssef is 'origin uncertain', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Youssef — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

YousefYousifYousufYusefYusuf

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Youssef Chahine (1926-2008)
Egyptian film director
★Youssef En-Nesyri (1997-)
Moroccan international footballer

If you like Youssef…

Yusuf— A listed spelling of the same Arabic form of Joseph.

Yousef— A listed variant transliteration of the same name.

Joseph— The English form of the same Hebrew Yosef root.

Yousuf— A listed spelling of the same Arabic name.

Josef— A Central European form of Joseph sharing the Yosef origin.

Explore names like Youssef

By themearabic

By meaningGod / Divine

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Youssef mean?

Youssef is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with Arabic tradition.

How do you pronounce Youssef?

It's commonly said YOO-suhf /ˈju.səf/.

Is Youssef a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Youssef is used as a boy name.

How popular is Youssef?

In 2024, Youssef ranked #1602 in the U.S. for boys, with 107 births recorded.