UK boy's name
Yusef
An Arabic name meaning "he will increase" or "he will add".
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.
Yusef is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Yusef popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #945, with 33 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 33 births.
This profile covers 491 England and Wales registrations across 28 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 499 living people in the UK are called Yusef. 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
- • Yusef ranked #945 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 33 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 33 boys were registered as Yusef.
- • Yusef ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #474 in 2008.
- • About 499 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yusef as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#945
2024
Births in 2024
33
Latest year
Peak year
2011
33 births
Estimated living
499
2026
Meaning
What does Yusef mean?
The name Yusef originates from the Arabic language and has been in use since ancient times. It is a variant of the name Yusuf, which is the Arabic form of the biblical name Joseph. The name Yusef and its variants can be traced back to the Hebrew name Yosef, which means "he will add" or "God will increase."
The name Yusef is deeply rooted in the Islamic tradition and is mentioned in the Quran as the name of the prophet Yusuf, who is revered as a role model for his righteousness, steadfastness, and wisdom. The story of Yusuf and his dream interpretations is narrated in detail in the Quran.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yusef can be found in the biblical book of Genesis, where it is mentioned as the name of Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel. Joseph played a significant role in the biblical narrative and is considered one of the most important figures in the Hebrew Bible.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Yusef. One of the most prominent is Yusef ibn Ishaq al-Kindi (801-873 CE), an Arab philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who is often referred to as the "father of Arab philosophy." Another notable figure is Yusef ibn Abdur Rahman (1839-1917), an Afro-Arab Muslim leader who played a crucial role in the early Islamic community in the United States.
In the literary world, Yusef Idris (1927-1991) was an Egyptian writer and playwright renowned for his short stories and novels that explored social and political issues in Egypt. Yusef Lateef (1920-2013) was an American jazz musician and composer who was influential in the development of modal jazz.
Yusef Komunyakaa (born 1947) is an American poet and professor who received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1994 for his collection "Neon Vernacular." His works often explore themes of identity, race, and the African American experience.
The name Yusef has had a rich and enduring history, spanning across various cultures and religions. It continues to be a popular name in many parts of the world, particularly in the Arab and Muslim communities, where it carries significant cultural and religious significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yusef over time
The chart below shows babies named Yusef 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 Yusef, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 33 births in 2024, compared with 33 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yusef by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yusef 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 | #1258 | 114 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1274 | 213 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1370 | 142 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1588 | 22 | 3 |
Geography
Where Yusef is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Yusef. 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.
Yusef ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #474 in 2008.
Across the UK
Yusef in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#474 in 2008
3 years of NRS records, 11 total registered
Related
Names similar to Yusef
- Yusuf 11,801
- Yahya 5,758
- Yunus 2,009
- Yaseen 1,799
- Yasin 1,797
- Yuvraj 1,605
- Yaqub 1,517
- Yousef 1,489
- Yousuf 1,454
- Yasir 1,056
- Yash 876
- Youssef 749
FAQ
Yusef: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yusef in the UK right now?
In 2024, Yusef was ranked #945 for boys in England and Wales, with 33 births registered.
When was Yusef most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 33 babies registered as Yusef in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yusef?
An Arabic name meaning "he will increase" or "he will add".
How many people are called Yusef in the UK?
A total of 491 babies have been registered as Yusef across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 11 more in Scotland.
Where is Yusef most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Yusef ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #474 in 2008. 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.