Mustafa

Mustafa - A very unique male name

Mustafa appeared on the charts for the first time in 1976 on position #2149. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Mustafa and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Mustafa? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Mustafa. The baby boy name Mustafa was given to 305 baby boys in 2025, ranking #743 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 4,807 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Mustafa peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 743.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Mustafa, 1-5?

Mustafa is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Mustafa is currently topping the baby name charts in Minnesota at position #410 - and is the least popular in Florida at position #1,042.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Mustafa is where you live.

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Mustafa origin and meaning

Arabic

The chosen one — an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad, from an Arabic root meaning 'to choose'

Mustafa is one of the names of the Prophet Muhammad in Islamic tradition and has been used across the Muslim world for centuries. It entered the US data in 1976 and reached its highest point so far in 2025. In Turkey it is inseparable from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the modern republic.

Attested etymology

Mustafa is a 7 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Mustafa, pop culture references for the name Mustafa and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Mustafa

We've found the following names that sound similar to Mustafa, sorted by popularity.

Mustafo / Moustapha / Mostafa / Mustapha / Moustafa / Mujtaba / Mustafe /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Mustafa

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Mustafa a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Mustafa?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

moo-STAH-fah · /mʊˈstɑːfə/

Around the world

• Mustafa (Turkish) — Used as-is in Turkish, where it carries strong national associations
• Mustafa (Arabic) — Original Arabic form, transliterated several ways

Spellings and nicknames

• Mustapha — Older French-influenced transliteration
• Mostafa — Common Egyptian transliteration

Famous bearers

• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk — Founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey; Kemal was a later adopted name and he is universally known as Mustafa Kemal (1881–1938) Historical

Style

InternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

For Muslim families Mustafa carries deep religious meaning; for others it reads as a strong, dignified international name now at its American peak.

Worth knowing

• Transliteration varies — Mustapha, Mostafa and Moustafa all appear
• Outside Muslim communities the name is strongly and specifically read as Muslim, which families should expect