Yusof
A variation of Joseph, derived from Hebrew meaning "he will add".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Yusof. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yusof today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yusof births was 2011 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yusof. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Yusof with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Yusof. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2011
6 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,174
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Yusof: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yusof from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yusof by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Yusof during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yusof
Yusof is a masculine given name that originated in the Arabic language. It is derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, which means "he will add" or "increaser." The name has been in use for centuries and can be traced back to the biblical figure Joseph, son of Jacob, who is revered in Islam as a prophet.
The name Yusof is particularly popular in Muslim-majority countries and regions, such as the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of South and Southeast Asia. It has various spellings, including Yusuf, Yousef, and Youssef, reflecting different linguistic and cultural influences.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yusof can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. In the Quran, the story of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) is narrated in detail, highlighting his moral character, wisdom, and ability to interpret dreams. His story serves as an inspiration for many Muslims and has contributed to the popularity of the name.
Throughout history, there have been numerous notable individuals who bore the name Yusof. One of the most famous was Yusof Ibn Tashfin (1009–1106), the founder of the Almoravid dynasty in North Africa and Spain. He played a significant role in the spread of Islam and the establishment of Almoravid rule in the Iberian Peninsula.
Another prominent figure was Yusof Ismail (1926–2008), a Malaysian politician and the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He served from 1976 to 1981 and was known for his efforts to promote economic development and national unity in the country.
In the realm of literature, Yusof al-Kindi (c. 801–873) was an Arab philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of optics, music, and cryptography. He is considered one of the earliest philosophers of the Islamic Golden Age.
Yusof Raza Gilani (born 1952) is a Pakistani politician who served as the 16th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2008 to 2012. He played a crucial role in the country's political landscape during a turbulent period marked by challenges such as terrorism and economic instability.
Yusof Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens (born 1948), is a British singer-songwriter and Muslim convert. He achieved widespread success in the 1960s and 1970s with hit songs like "Morning Has Broken" and "Father and Son," before embracing Islam and taking the name Yusof Islam in the late 1970s.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Yusof. The name continues to be popular among Muslim communities worldwide, serving as a testament to its rich cultural and religious heritage.
People
Yusof + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yusof as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yusof: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yusof?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yusof going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Yusof a common name?
We classify Yusof as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yusof most popular?
The single biggest year for Yusof was 2011, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yusof is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Yusof in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yusof a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yusof in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Yusof still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yusof in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Yusof can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Yusof?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.