boy's name
Musa
MOO-sa
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 16,794
the United States
#470
2025 births
Musa is a boy's name of Hebrew or Egyptian origin, the Arabic form of Moses. Its meaning is disputed: the Hebrew Bible reads it as "drawn out of the water," while linguists more often derive it from the Egyptian mes, meaning child or born of.
- Musa is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2025, when 798 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 660 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Musa over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 65 |
| 2000s | 885 |
| 2010s | 3,383 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,717 |
What Musa means
Musa means drawn out, in the biblical reading — a reference to being lifted from the Nile. The competing scholarly reading is simply child or son, from Egyptian.
Where Musa comes from
Musa is the Arabic form of the Hebrew Mosheh, and the two accounts of its meaning do not agree. Exodus has Pharaoh's daughter name the child because she drew him out of the water, connecting it to the Hebrew mashah, to draw out. Linguists more often point to the Egyptian mes or mose, meaning child or born of, the element that ends Thutmose and Ramesses — which fits a child raised in an Egyptian household far better than a Hebrew pun would. Musa is named more often in the Quran than any other prophet.
Musa in use
Our records show Musa in United States data as far back as 1891, and it is now at 65 in England and Wales against 470 in the United States, peaking in 2025 and still rising. One source in our research pack lists it as a female name; that appears to be a confusion with the Greek mousa, muse, which is unrelated.
How popular is Musa?
In 2025, Musa was given to 798 babies in England and Wales, ranking #65 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Musa is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
How Musa is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mûsa | Mûsa is a rare spelling of Musa, written with a circumflex and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names that peaked alongside Musa
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Musa also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Musa over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Musa 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 Musa
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Musa — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Musa
What does the name Musa mean?
Either "drawn out of the water," following Exodus, or simply "child," from the Egyptian mes. Both readings are seriously argued.
Is Musa the same name as Moses?
Yes. Musa is the Arabic form of the Hebrew Mosheh, which English renders as Moses.
Is Musa a boy's or girl's name?
A boy's name. It is occasionally listed as female in error, through confusion with the unrelated Greek word mousa, muse.
How popular is the name Musa?
In 2025, Musa was given to 798 babies in England and Wales, ranking #65 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
How many syllables are in Musa?
Musa has 2 syllables.
When was Musa most popular?
Musa peaked in 2025, when 798 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Musa a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Musa currently ranks #65 in England and Wales. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.