Given name & surname

Moussa

Moussa is a masculine given name from Arabic. It is used in French.

Meaning & origin

Where it comes from

Moussa comes from Arabic.

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How it developed

From Arabic مُوسَى.

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1988. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Moussa through the years

Babies since 1880
1,096
1,096 boys · 0 girls
Most popular year
2013
46 babies
2025
39
#3,112 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20
−8%
Steady
010203020002025Highest share 202323
Moussa in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1988–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inNew York, Ohio
FewerMore, relative to births Not published
2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: New York (11), Ohio (5).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 39 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,112 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 8.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,245 as a first name in 2020; 2,987 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Moussa’s family of names

In French usage, Moussa shares an earlier linguistic root with Moïse. In French usage, Moussa has a conventional equivalent in the English form Musa. In Greek usage, Moussa is a transliteration of Μούσσα.

Walk Moussa’s family in the name graph

MoussaΜούσσαMosesMoisesMosheMusaMousaMoisheMoiseMoshehMozesMovsesMoiseiMoosesMoisisMuuseMoscheMoisseyМоисейMózesמשהMojżeszMoisèsՄովսեսMoisésΜωυσής

Inner ring: spellings · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Moussa has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Arabic roots to each of them.

Arabic

3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Similar names

If you love Moussa, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Arabic · Modern

Murad

Murad is a masculine given name from Ottoman Turkish, ultimately from Arabic. It is used in English, Azerbaijani, and Tausug.

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Youcef

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>99% boys

Arabic · Modern

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>99% boys

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Dauda

Dauda is a masculine given name from Arabic. It is used in Hausa.

0Not recently recorded

>99% boys

Arabic · Modern

Hamad

“praise”

24RareSteady

>99% boys

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Marwan

Marwan is a masculine given name from Arabic.

33RareSteady

>99% boys

Arabic · Modern

Yehya

Yehya is a given name from Arabic.

12Very rare

>99% boys

Sibling ideas

Names that share Moussa’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Moussa

A sister for Moussa