Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Mustafa

Mustafa is a name important to both the Arabs and the Turks. For Muslims, Al-Muṣṭafa is one of the many epithets given to the Prophet Muhammad and means “The Chosen One” from the Arabic Muṣṭafa (مصطفى) meaning “pure, chosen”. Arabic Christians use the same title for St. Paul (Christ’s apostle who traveled to Arabia right after his conversion on the famous Road to Damascus). For the Turkish people, the name was prominently held by Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938) who founded the modern Republic of Turkey following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I which earned him the title “Atatürk” (Father of the Turks). Furthermore, Mustafa was a name borne by four Sultans of the Ottoman Empire between the 17th and early 19th centuries. Not surprisingly Mustafa is one of the Top 3 most favorite baby boy names in Turkey, and it also ranks very high in Egypt. It’s a Top 100 choice in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Outside of the Middle East and Africa, however, Mustafa is generally found among people with Arabic or Turkish ethnic backgrounds living in Western countries. It is therefore not very common within English speaking nations.

All About the Baby Name – Mustafa

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME MUSTAFA

The number Nine personality represents the completion or ending of the cycle, and a need for perfection. This is the personality that moves from "self" to a greater understanding and compassion for the human condition and the world order. They want to make the world a better place. Nines are capable of great spiritual and humanitarian achievements. They are courageous and fearless, able to fight great battles on behalf of worthy causes. These personalities will not tolerate injustice. They are compassionate people with a strong sensitivity to others. They are able to both educate and inspire. Friendships and relationships are the lifeblood to the Nine, and they place a high value on love and affection. Nines are often exceptionally gifted artistically, and they have a keen imagination and enterprising mind.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME MUSTAFA

Mustafa has only held a position on the Top 1000 list three times: in the years 2001, 2002 and 2011. Its highest position ever on that list was #927 (2011). In other words, Mustafa is a very uncommon name in the United States. It’s much too exotic for the average American citizen of European or Latin American descent. The population of Turkish-Americans is so tiny (less than 0.1%) they are hardly likely to move the needle on any ethnically favored name. Similarly, Arab-Americans make up a little more than 1% of the U.S. population. This is why we don’t expect to see Mustafa climb above the very bottom of the graphs. In other words, this “chosen one” is a rarely “chosen” name in the United States. It’s an interesting sounding name with a truly awesome etymology. No wonder it’s a favorite among Arabs and Turks.

Quick Facts

ON MUSTAFA

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Arabic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

895

PRONUNCIATION:

moos-TAH-fah

SIMPLE MEANING:

The chosen one

Characteristics

OF MUSTAFA

Multi-talented

Intuitive

Oneness

Idealistic

Philanthropy

Independent

Perfection

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Mustafa

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME MUSTAFA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Mustafa

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME MUSTAFA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Mustafa


Popular Songs

ON MUSTAFA

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Mustafa


Famous People

NAMED MUSTAFA

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (first President of Turkey)
Mustafa Kemal "Muzzy" Izzet (British-Turkish footballer)
Mustafa Abdul Jalil (Libyan politician)
Mustafa I (Sultan of the Ottoman Empire 1617-1618, 1622-1623)
Mustafa II (Sultan of the Ottoman Empire 1695-1703)
Mustafa III (Sultan of the Ottoman Empire 1757-1774)
Mustafa IV (Sultan of the Ottoman Empire 1807-1808)
Mustafa Barzani (Kurdish nationalist)
Mustafa Denizli (Turkish football player)
Mustafa el-Nahhas (Egyptian politician)
Mustafa al-Hawsawi (member of al-Qaeda)

Children of Famous People

NAMED MUSTAFA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Mustafa

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME MUSTAFA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Mustafa