Given name & surname
Yusuf
“God will add”·“God shall add”
Yusuf is a form of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Arabic use, Yusuf carries the interpretation “God will add.” Yusuf is a form of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Arabic.
How it developed
Yusuf is used as a form of Joseph. Yusuf is a form of Joseph. The shared background comes through Joseph: The English and French name continues the biblical Hebrew form Yosef. The idea of adding is part of the name’s original family context, rather than a later personality interpretation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1949. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Yusuf is a form of Joseph. The history of Joseph gives this family its wider story. In Genesis, Joseph is Jacob’s son who is taken to Egypt and later reconciled with his brothers. In the New Testament, Joseph is also the husband of Mary, giving the name a distinct place in Christian tradition.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Yusuf through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 11,455
- 11,455 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 698 babies
- 2025
- 698
- #450 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +21%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 698 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 450 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 20.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (110). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,933 as a first name in 2020; 6,350 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.
Yusuf’s family of names
In English usage, Yusuf shares an earlier linguistic root with Joseph. In Turkish usage, Yusuf has a conventional equivalent in the German form Josef. Yusuf is a form of Joseph.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Yusuf has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Arabic roots to each of them.
6 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 11
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Josephdoublet · English, French
- Youssefequivalent
- JosefGerman
- Yussufequivalent
- Youcefequivalent
- Franceequivalent
- Yusuphequivalent
- JózefPolish
Show 3 moreShow fewer
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Yusuf
- Yousaf Raza GillaniPrime Minister of Pakistan from 2008 to 2012born 1952
- Yusuf al-QaradawiEgyptian Islamic theologian based in Doha, Qatar (1926-2022)
- Yusuf ibn Tashfinleader of the Almoravid dynasty (r. 1061–1106), founder of Marrakech and a key figure in consolidating power in southern Morocco before expanding into Al-Andalus1009–1106
- Yusof Ishak1st President of Singapore (1910–1970)
- Yusuf YazıcıTurkish association football player (born 1997)
- Yusuf DemirTurkish-Austrian association football player (born 2003)
- Yusuf DikeçTurkish sport shooter (born 1973)
- Yūsuf BalasaguniTurkic poet1017–1075
- Al-Mustanjidthe Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 1160 to 11701116–1170
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Yusuf, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“God shall add”
—
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“God shall add”
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Yosyp
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Saul
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