NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Youssef

An Arabic masculine given name meaning "he will add" or "prosperous one".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Youssef is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Youssef popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1162, with 24 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 45 births.

This profile covers 749 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 53% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 764 living people in the UK are called Youssef. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Youssef ranked #1162 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 24 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2016, when 45 boys were registered as Youssef.
  • Youssef ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #590 in 2022.
  • About 764 living people in the UK are estimated to have Youssef as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1162

2024

Births in 2024

24

Latest year

Peak year

2016

45 births

Estimated living

764

2026

Meaning

What does Youssef mean?

The name Youssef has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, which comes from the root word "yasaf," meaning "to add" or "to increase." The name is believed to have been in use since ancient times, dating back to the biblical era.

One of the earliest and most prominent references to the name Youssef is in the Quran, where it is mentioned as the name of the prophet Joseph, son of Jacob. The story of Joseph is recounted in great detail in the Quran, and his name is mentioned numerous times throughout the text.

The name Youssef has been used by many notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded examples is Youssef ibn Nasr al-Nashi, a famous Arabic poet who lived in the 9th century CE. Another notable bearer of the name was Youssef ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri, a renowned historian from the 9th century who wrote extensively about the early Islamic conquests.

In the medieval period, Youssef ibn Ismail al-Sahili was a prominent Moroccan scholar and judge who lived in the 12th century. He was known for his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and his contributions to the field of Maliki law.

Moving forward, one of the most famous figures in modern Arab history with the name Youssef was Youssef Bey Karam, a Lebanese nationalist and leader who played a pivotal role in the struggle for independence from Ottoman rule in the early 20th century. He was born in 1823 and died in 1889.

Another notable bearer of the name Youssef was Youssef Chahine, an acclaimed Egyptian filmmaker and actor who was a pioneer of Arab cinema. He was born in 1926 and passed away in 2008, leaving behind a rich legacy of films that explored social and political themes in the Arab world.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Youssef, a name steeped in cultural and religious significance in the Arabic and Islamic traditions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Youssef over time

The chart below shows babies named Youssef registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Youssef, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 24 births in 2024, compared with 45 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Youssef
011233445199620102024

Decades

Youssef by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Youssef was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1045 147 5
2010s #917 338 10
2000s #974 215 10
1990s #1150 49 4

Geography

Where Youssef is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Youssef. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Youssef ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #590 in 2022.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Youssef in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#590 in 2022

6 years of NRS records, 20 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Youssef

  • Youssef Bejaoui

    association football player

    Scottish footballer (born 1986)

    1986-

Related

Names similar to Youssef

FAQ

Youssef: questions and answers

How popular is the name Youssef in the UK right now?

In 2024, Youssef was ranked #1162 for boys in England and Wales, with 24 births registered.

When was Youssef most popular?

The peak year on record was 2016, with 45 babies registered as Youssef in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Youssef?

An Arabic masculine given name meaning "he will add" or "prosperous one".

How many people are called Youssef in the UK?

A total of 749 babies have been registered as Youssef across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 20 more in Scotland.

Where is Youssef most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Youssef ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #590 in 2022. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.