2000
#18,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,344
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.50
Rare Last name
Yousef
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "God increases" or "God adds," referring to the Biblical prophet Joseph.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,479 Americans carry the last name Yousef. That puts it at #10,125 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,521 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yousef surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Yousef with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,521
Census rank
#10,125
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,034 bearers of the surname Yousef in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10125th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yousef, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yousef
The surname "Yousef" is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the Middle East and North Africa regions. It is derived from the Arabic name "Yusuf," which is the Arabic form of the biblical name Joseph. The name has been in use for centuries and can be found in various historical records and manuscripts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Yousef" dates back to the 7th century, when it appeared in various Arabic texts and documents. The name was particularly prevalent in areas of the Middle East and North Africa that were under Islamic rule during this period.
In the 10th century, the name "Yousef" was mentioned in the works of the renowned Arab scholar and historian, Al-Tabari, who documented the lives of various historical figures and events. This suggests that the name had gained significance and recognition within the scholarly community during that time.
During the medieval period, the name "Yousef" was found in various court records and legal documents, indicating that it was a common name among the Arabic-speaking populations of the region. Some notable individuals who bore this surname include Yousef Al-Fakhri, a 12th-century Islamic scholar and philosopher, and Yousef Al-Andalusi, a renowned 13th-century mathematician and astronomer from Andalusia (modern-day Spain).
In the 14th century, the name "Yousef" appeared in the writings of the famous Arab traveler and explorer, Ibn Battuta, who documented his journeys across various parts of the Islamic world. This suggests that the name was widely recognized and used throughout the region at that time.
Another notable figure with the surname "Yousef" was Yousef Al-Basri, a 9th-century Sufi mystic and scholar from Basra, Iraq. He was known for his teachings on spirituality and his contributions to the development of Islamic mysticism.
As the centuries passed, the name "Yousef" continued to be prevalent among Arabic-speaking populations and could be found in various historical records, manuscripts, and literary works. It is a name that has endured and continues to be used in many parts of the Middle East and North Africa to this day.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yousef
Among Census respondents with the surname Yousef, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Yousef bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Yousef surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 2,626
- Black or African American3.8% · 116
- Two or more races3.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yousef
Yousef appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,305
+961 bearers (+71.5%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 5,581 places
2020
#10,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,034
+729 bearers (+31.6%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 3,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,827 | 1,344 | 0.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,246 | 2,305 | 0.78 | +961 bearers (+71.5%) | Up 5,581 places |
| 2020 | #10,125 | 3,034 | 1.02 | +729 bearers (+31.6%) | Up 3,121 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Yousef surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,246 | #10,125 | 23.6% |
| Count | 2,305 | 3,034 | 31.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 1.02 | 30.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yousef bearers went from 2,305 to 3,034 (+31.6% change). The surname moved up 3,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,246 to #10,125.
FAQ
Yousef surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yousef?
Name Census estimates that about 3,479 living Americans carry the surname Yousef. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,521 residents.
How common is Yousef?
Yousef ranks #10,125 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,034 people with the surname Yousef. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Yousef.
Has Yousef become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yousef went from 2,305 recorded bearers to 3,034. That is an increase of 729 (+31.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,246 to #10,125.
What does the Census say about the background of Yousef?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yousef, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yousef in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (2,626 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yousef appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Black (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Yousef (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Yousef mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "God increases" or "God adds," referring to the Biblical prophet Joseph. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Yousef (1.02 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Yousef?
You can see how many people have the last name Yousef on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.