Moustapha
A boy's name of Arabic origin with 384 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
If you're considering Moustapha, you're looking at a name that fewer than 384 families have ever chosen in the U.S. That kind of rarity is intentional — it signals that the name was chosen for its sound, its personal meaning, or a family connection rather than a trend.
The open, warm ending gives Moustapha a stately quality that carries weight in formal contexts while staying approachable.
In the most recent SSA release, Moustapha ranks #7091 among U.S. boy names — distinctive enough to stand out.
Moustapha is a boy's baby name of Arabic origin, the French West African spelling of Mustafa, from the Arabic muṣṭafā, meaning 'the chosen one' or 'the selected, the elect' — widely used in Senegal, Mali, and other Francophone African Muslim communities.
With over 384 recorded births, Moustapha is particularly associated with Senegalese and West African Muslim communities where French orthography gives the name this distinctive form. It carries the same sacred meaning as Mustafa — the divine election of the Prophet Muhammad — while the French spelling connects it specifically to the Francophone African Muslim world, where it is among the most common given names.
EtymologyShow more
In the American context, Moustapha is a boy's name with a focused stretch of recorded use (1995–2024). Its Arabic roots connect it to a broader naming tradition, but in practice, American usage often reshapes names — adding nicknames, shifting pronunciation, and building new associations that diverge from the original cultural context.
Today, Moustapha is an active part of the American naming landscape (ranked #7091), continuing to accumulate its own cultural meaning with each new child who carries it.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Moustapha was #6395 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #7091, but its charm endures.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 71 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 145 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 129 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 39 | — |
The Story of Moustapha
A Gen Z name
Peaking in 2005, Moustapha is a name that defines a generation. Boys named Moustapha are most likely born between 1995 and 2015.
How rare is Moustapha?
Only about 1 in every 300,000 babies born in 2024 was named Moustapha — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1995, peaked in the 2010s with 145 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Moustapha by the numbers
- Would fill 8 school buses
- Meeting one Moustapha per day would take 1.1 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(30 years, 1995–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12 | #7091 |
| 2023 | 19 | #5185 |
| 2022 | 15 | #6053 |
| 2021 | 7 | #10439 |
| 2020 | 18 | #5171 |
| 2019 | 13 | #6662 |
| 2018 | 9 | #8611 |
| 2017 | 19 | #5050 |
| 2016 | 15 | #5964 |
| 2015 | 18 | #5209 |
| 2014 | 15 | #5905 |
| 2013 | 15 | #5832 |
| 2012 | 10 | #7951 |
| 2011 | 14 | #6152 |
| 2010 | 17 | #5402 |
| 2009 | 6 | #11996 |
| 2008 | 6 | #12091 |
| 2007 | 12 | #6946 |
| 2006 | 14 | #5999 |
| 2005 | 23 | #4017 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Moustapha a boy's or girl's name?
When was Moustapha most popular?
How popular is the name Moustapha?
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Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1995–2024