Yusef

♂ Boy

Pronounced YOO-sef /ˈjuː.sɛf/Medium

Meaning: a variant of Yusuf/Joseph, ultimately from the Hebrew 'Yosef' meaning 'he will add' or 'God shall add'Medium

In 30 seconds: Yusef is a variant of Yusuf and Joseph, going back to the Hebrew 'Yosef', 'he will add' or 'God shall add'. It links the Arabic and biblical traditions in one name.

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Origin MediumArabic, Hebrew

Meaninga variant of Yusuf/Joseph, ultimately from the Hebrew 'Yosef' meaning 'he will add' or 'God shall add'

U.S. rank (2025)#1904 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births83 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2024

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,115

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

The name reaches back to the Hebrew Yosef, understood as 'he will add' or 'God shall add', the name of the patriarch Joseph. In Arabic it became Yusuf, and Yusef is one of its many spellings. Forms like Youssef and Yousuf show how widely the same name is written across the Arab world.

Yusef carries a smooth, flowing sound shared by all its relatives, from Yousef to Yusuf. As a counterpart to the English Joseph, it bridges several languages while keeping one meaning.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Yusef 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 - Yusef — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

YousefYousifYoussefYousufYusuf

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Yusef Lateef (1920-2013)
American jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer
★Yusef Komunyakaa (1947-)
American poet and Pulitzer Prize winner
★Yusef Salaam (1974-)
Member of the exonerated Central Park Five and New York City councilman

If you like Yusef…

Yusuf— The standard Arabic form of the same name, the root Yusef varies from.

Youssef— A common French-influenced spelling of the same Arabic name as Yusef.

Yousef— A near-identical variant spelling listed alongside Yusef.

Joseph— The English form sharing the Hebrew Yosef root with Yusef.

Yousuf— Another transliteration of the same name grouped with Yusef.

Explore names like Yusef

By themearabic persian

By meaningGod / Divine

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Yusef mean?

Yusef is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with Persian tradition.

How do you pronounce Yusef?

It's commonly said YOO-sef /ˈjuː.sɛf/.

Is Yusef a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Yusef?

In 2024, Yusef ranked #1635 in the U.S. for boys, with 104 births recorded.