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Mustapha

Quick answerThe name 'Mustapha' means "the chosen one" or "the elect," deriving from the Arabic root *ṣ-f-w* (صفوة), specifically the passive participle *muṣṭafā*.

Arabic · Boy · 3 syllables

M
Rare

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#5,769
TrendStable
Peak year2004
Syllables3
OriginArabic
LanguageArabic
CultureArabic
ReligionIslam
Letters8
Numerology9 Chaldean 5
Global rank#629

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Mustapha

The name 'Mustapha' means "the chosen one" or "the elect," deriving from the Arabic root *ṣ-f-w* (صفوة), specifically the passive participle *muṣṭafā*.

Cross-referenced with Behind the Name. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The name 'Mustapha' means "the chosen one" or "the elect," deriving from the Arabic root *ṣ-f-w* (صفوة), specifically the passive participle *muṣṭafā*. It is predominantly used in Islamic cultures as an epithet for the Prophet Muhammad, and historically appears across North Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans, notably as the name of Ottoman sultans and leaders.

Mustapha currently ranks #5,769 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 2004.

Variants & nicknames

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Sibling name ideas

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Phonetic match, not just spelling
Mustafa
Boy Arabic

"Mustafa derives from the Arabic root w-s-f, meaning "the chosen one" or "the selected one," with the name literally signifying…"

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Mostafa
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"Mostafa derives from the Arabic root meaning "the chosen one" or "the selected one," related to the verb istafā (اصطفى),…"

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Moustapha
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"The name 'Moustapha' is a variant of 'Mustafa', meaning "the chosen one" or "the elect," derived from the Arabic root…"

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Mujtaba
Boy Arabic

"The name 'Mujtaba' means "chosen" or "selected," derived from the Arabic root *j-b-y* (ج ب ي), which conveys the concept…"

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Mojtaba
Boy Persian

"Mojtaba derives from Arabic/Persian, meaning "chosen" or "the chosen one.""

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Moshtaba
Boy Arabic-Persian

"Moshtaba is a Persian name derived from the Arabic root meaning "desired" or "chosen," combining "mostafa" (the chosen one, a…"

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Moustafa
Boy Arabic

"Moustafa derives from the Arabic root م-ص-ف (M-S-F) and means "the chosen one" or "the selected one," related to the…"

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Mustafe
Boy Arabic

"Mustafe is an alternate spelling of Mustafa, derived from the Arabic root meaning "the chosen one" or "the selected," from…"

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Mestafa
Boy Arabic

"Mestafa is a variant spelling of Mustafa, derived from the Arabic root meaning "the chosen one" or "the selected one,"…"

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Mustaf
Boy Arabic

"Mustaf is derived from the Arabic root meaning "the chosen one" or "the selected one," coming from the verb "istafa"…"

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Mostepha
Boy Arabic

"Mostepha is an alternative spelling of Mustafa, derived from the Arabic root meaning "the chosen one" or "the selected," from…"

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Mustafizur
Boy Arabic-Persian

"Mustafizur is an Arabic name combining "Mustafi" (derived from Mustafa, meaning "the chosen one") with the Persian suffix "-zur" meaning…"

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