Mustafa
How to say it: moo-STAH-fuh · /muˈstɑfə/
From Arabic 'al-Mustafa' meaning 'the chosen one'; one of the titles of the Prophet Muhammad.
Mustafa was the 661st most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 339 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 34% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #565 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #661 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 339 |
| Share of births | 1 in 8,747 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +34% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #565 |
| In France, 2025 | #282 among boys’ names, 65 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Almost all use has come in the last forty years, with Mustafa at its height in the 2020s. Growth looks set to continue.
What goes with it
Pronounced moo STAH fuh, Mustafa sounds breathy and strong while traveling easily across cultures. Ahmed is a close stylistic match.
Nicknames
- Musa
- Tafa
Honouring a Mustafa in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Mustafa is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Arabic, English, French, Turkish.
In France: #282 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #171. Ireland: #314.
Famous people named Mustafa
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938)Founding father of the Republic of Turkey
- Mustafa I (1591–1639)15th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1617–1618, 1622–1623)
- Mustafa III (1717–1774)26th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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