2000
#15,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,760
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Yusuf
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "God increases" or "God adds," referring to the Biblical figure Joseph.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,282 Americans carry the last name Yusuf. That puts it at #5,299 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,069 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yusuf 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 Yusuf with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 47,069
Census rank
#5,299
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,350 bearers of the surname Yusuf in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5299th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yusuf, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%) and White (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yusuf
Among Census respondents with the surname Yusuf, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%) and White (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Yusuf 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 Yusuf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American77.8% · 4,943
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.9% · 821
- White5.3% · 335
- Two or more races2.7% · 170
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yusuf
Yusuf 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
#8,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,003
+2,243 bearers (+127.4%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 7,047 places
2020
#5,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,350
+2,347 bearers (+58.6%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Up 2,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,327 | 1,760 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,280 | 4,003 | 1.36 | +2,243 bearers (+127.4%) | Up 7,047 places |
| 2020 | #5,299 | 6,350 | 2.12 | +2,347 bearers (+58.6%) | Up 2,981 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 Yusuf 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 | #8,280 | #5,299 | 36.0% |
| Count | 4,003 | 6,350 | 58.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 2.12 | 56.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yusuf bearers went from 4,003 to 6,350 (+58.6% change). The surname moved up 2,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,280 to #5,299.
FAQ
Yusuf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yusuf?
Name Census estimates that about 7,282 living Americans carry the surname Yusuf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,069 residents.
How common is Yusuf?
Yusuf ranks #5,299 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,350 people with the surname Yusuf. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Yusuf.
Has Yusuf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yusuf went from 4,003 recorded bearers to 6,350. That is an increase of 2,347 (+58.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,280 to #5,299.
What does the Census say about the background of Yusuf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yusuf, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%) and White (5.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Yusuf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (4,943 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yusuf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (77.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%), White (5.3%). 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 Yusuf (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 Yusuf mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "God increases" or "God adds," referring to the Biblical figure 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 Yusuf (2.12 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 many people share the surname Yusuf?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.