Find out how popular the last name Yusuf is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Yusuf.

Yusuf, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Yusuf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yusuf in America

Yusuf is the 8280th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yusuf surname appeared 4,003 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Yusuf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yusuf to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Yusuf

The surname Yusuf has its origins in the Arabic language, derived from the name Yusuf, which is the Arabic form of the biblical name Joseph. The name has a long and rich history, with roots dating back to ancient times in the Middle East.

This surname is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in regions where Arabic was the predominant language. It is likely that the name was initially adopted as a patronymic, meaning "son of Yusuf," indicating the lineage of individuals bearing this surname.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Yusuf can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, where it is associated with the biblical figure Joseph, the son of Jacob. This connection to a significant religious figure has contributed to the widespread usage of the name across various Muslim communities.

The surname Yusuf has been present in various historical records and manuscripts throughout the centuries. For instance, it is mentioned in the writings of renowned Islamic scholars and historians, such as Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) and Al-Tabari (838-923).

Among the notable individuals who have borne the surname Yusuf throughout history, one can mention Yusuf bin Ismail (1049-1109), a prominent Sufi mystic and scholar from Central Asia. Another notable figure is Yusuf al-Baladhuri (d. 892), an Arab Muslim historian and author of the influential work "Futuh al-Buldan" (Conquest of Lands).

In the realm of literature, Yusuf al-Nabhani (1849-1932) was a renowned Arab poet and scholar from Lebanon, known for his contributions to the Nahda (Arab Renaissance) movement. Yusuf Idris (1927-1991), an Egyptian novelist and playwright, is also recognized for his influential works exploring social and political themes.

The surname Yusuf has also been associated with various place names and localities throughout the Middle East and North Africa. For example, Yusufiya was a medieval town located in present-day Iraq, while Bani Yusuf was a historical region in Morocco that took its name from the Almoravid dynasty, which ruled parts of North Africa and Spain in the 11th and 12th centuries.

While the surname Yusuf has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in numerous countries, each with their unique histories and cultural traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yusuf

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Yusuf.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Yusuf was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Yusuf has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Yusuf was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Yusuf, please contact us.

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