Mustafa means “chosen”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Kazakh and Azerbaijani and also used in Tatar and Bashkir.
- Mustafa is a name of Arabic origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir.
- 3 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 7 letters.
What does Mustafa mean?
Mustafa is a Turkish male name meaning 'chosen'. It came through Ottoman Turkish from Arabic muṣṭafā, an adjective meaning 'chosen' that is also a given name.[1,4]
Mustafa in Turkish, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir
What does Mustafa mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written Mustafa. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “chosen” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1]
What does Mustafa mean in Kazakh?
In Kazakh the name is written Мұстафа and Mustafa (common romanization). No separate Kazakh gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “chosen” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[4,5]
What does Mustafa mean in Azerbaijani?
In Azerbaijani the name is written Mustafa. No separate Azerbaijani gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “chosen” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1]
What does Mustafa mean in Tatar?
In Tatar the name is written Мостафа and Mustafa (common romanization). No separate Tatar gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “chosen” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
What does Mustafa mean in Bashkir?
In Bashkir the name is written Mustafa (common romanization). No separate Bashkir gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “chosen” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
Where does the name Mustafa come from?
Arabic, borrowing. Wiktionary traces the name to Arabic مُصْطَفَى.[1]✓ Documented
Arabic, borrowing. Inherited from Ottoman Turkish, borrowed from Arabic muṣṭafā.[2]✓ Documented
Arabic, borrowing. From Arabic مُصْطَفَى (muṣṭafā, “the chosen one”).[3,4]Likely
How do you pronounce Mustafa?
In IPA: /mustaˈfa/, as given in the cited dictionary entry.
Which languages use the name Mustafa?
Mustafa is used as a given name in Turkish, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir. Its origin is Arabic. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Mustafa across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | MustafaLatin | Boy | same as above: “chosen” | Documented[1] |
| Kazakh | МұстафаCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “chosen” | Documented[4,5] |
| Azerbaijani | MustafaLatin | Boy | same as above: “chosen” | Documented[1] |
| Tatar | МостафаCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “chosen” | Editorial |
| Bashkir | MustafaLatin, romanized | Boy | same as above: “chosen” | Editorial |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Mustafa
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mustafa[1] | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| Mustafa[5] | Latin spelling | Latin | Variant |
| Мұстафа[4,5] | Kazakh | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Mustafa | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Mustafa[1] | Azerbaijani | Latin | Native spelling |
| Мостафа | Tatar | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Mustafa | Tatar | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Mustafa | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
Sibling names for Mustafa
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Mustafa rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- TunçaslanBoy“bronze lion”same language (turkish)
- YeğinBoy“strong, forceful; abundant”same language (turkish)
- KanturalıUnisex“one who lives richly”same language (turkish)
- SerdarhanBoy“commander khan”same language (turkish)
- GülsümeGirl“round, plump-faced”same language (turkish)
- YerkezhanGirl“darling soul”same language (kazakh)
- SymbatGirl“graceful figure”same language (kazakh)
- EmbiyaUnisex“variant of Enbiya: prophets”same language (turkish)
Common questions about Mustafa
What does the name Mustafa mean?
Mustafa means “chosen”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Kazakh and Azerbaijani and also used in Tatar and Bashkir.
Is Mustafa a girl's or a boy's name?
Mustafa is recorded as a boy's name. By language: Turkish: boys; Kazakh: boys; Azerbaijani: boys; Tatar: boys; Bashkir: boys.
Where does Mustafa come from?
Mustafa is of Arabic origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Mustafa?
Mustafa is recorded for Turkish, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is Mustafa spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Mustafa (Latin), Мұстафа (Cyrillic), Мостафа (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Mustafa have?
Mustafa has 3 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 7 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by our editors; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Mustafa”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93608962. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: inherited from Ottoman مصطفی (mustafâ); classified as a male given name in the Turkish section; IPA /mustaˈfa/ (Turkish Pronunciation section); classified as a male given name in the Azerbaijani section (+6 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “مصطفی”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 92981529. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Ottoman male given name, borrowed from Arabic مُصْطَفَى; borrowed from Arabic مُصْطَفَى
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “مصطفى”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93331444. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Arabic adjective chosen; male given name Mustafa; Arabic مُصْطَفَى ‘the chosen one’
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Мұстафа”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 85053421. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as Kazakh given names, Kazakh male given names; etymology: From Arabic مُصْطَفَى (muṣṭafā, “the chosen one”).; listed as a Kazakh given name; Kazakh given-name entry Мұстафа
- Rustem Yeshpanov. KazPER Kazakh person-name list. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Supports: listed in KazPER; KazPER English spelling Mustafa; KazPER lists Мұстафа
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