boy's name
Moussa
MOO-sa
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 14,515
France
#119
2025 births
Moussa is a boy's name meaning "drawn out of the water," the Arabic form of Moses, who is named more often in the Quran than any other prophet. It ranks 119th in France and is at its peak in our records.
- Moussa is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in France in 2024, when 520 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,167 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1924.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Moussa over time
Births per decade in France, 1920s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 |
| 1930s | 10 |
| 1940s | 15 |
| 1950s | 165 |
| 1960s | 460 |
| 1970s | 740 |
| 1980s | 1,630 |
| 1990s | 1,485 |
| 2000s | 2,155 |
| 2010s | 3,360 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,860 |
What Moussa means
Moussa means drawn out, or drawn from the water. Exodus supplies the reading directly — Pharaoh's daughter names the child because she drew him from the river — though the name may in fact be Egyptian rather than Hebrew.
Where Moussa comes from
Moussa is a French spelling of the Arabic Musa, from the Hebrew Mosheh. Exodus gives the meaning as drawn out of the water, but scholars have long noted that Mosheh may instead be Egyptian, from mes, meaning child or born of, the element in Thutmose and Ramesses — in which case the biblical explanation is a folk etymology, and a pointed one for a figure raised in Pharaoh's household. Musa is named around 136 times in the Quran, more than any other prophet, and his confrontation with Pharaoh is retold at length. The name is common across the Arab world and especially in West Africa, which is where most French bearers' families come from: Mansa Musa of Mali, who ruled in the fourteenth century, is often cited as the wealthiest individual in recorded history.
Moussa in use
Moussa ranks 119th in France with about 505 births in 2025 and is rising, with its peak in our records in 2024. Our records carry it from 1924. It is rare elsewhere — 3,117th in the United States, 3,185th in England and Wales — and its French standing reflects West African rather than Maghrebi migration, which distinguishes it from most Arabic names in the French top 200.
How popular is Moussa?
In 2025, Moussa was given to 505 babies in France, ranking #119 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Moussa is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Moussa
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Moussa also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Moussa over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Moussa
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Moussa in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Moussa
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Moussa — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Moussa
What does the name Moussa mean?
Moussa means "drawn out of the water," the explanation Exodus gives for Moses.
Is that meaning certain?
No. Mosheh may be Egyptian, from mes meaning child — the element in Thutmose and Ramesses.
Is Moussa the Arabic for Moses?
Yes. Musa is named around 136 times in the Quran, more than any other prophet.
How popular is Moussa?
119th in France.
Is Moussa a girl's or a boy's name?
Moussa is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Moussa?
Moussa has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Moussa?
Moussa is usually shortened to Musa.
Is Moussa a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Moussa currently ranks #119 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.