Meaning
Youssef is the French-influenced spelling of Arabic Yūsuf, Joseph. The double s is there for a reason: in French, a single s between vowels sounds like a z, so "Yousef" would come out as "Yoozef." The second S keeps it crisp.
Where you'll find it
Youssef is the dominant spelling in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon, all places where French shaped how Arabic names were written in Latin letters. In Morocco it was in the top ten boys' names in 2019, and unofficial counts have long put it near the very top in Egypt, second only to Mohamed.
In Europe and the U.S.
In the Netherlands, more than 2,200 men had Youssef as a first name in 2017, many with roots in Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon. In the United States the spelling peaked in 2017 with 193 births and has been given to more than 3,500 American boys since the 1970s.
Surname division
Youssef is also a well-known surname: comedian and Golden Globe winner Ramy Youssef, and Bassem Youssef, the heart surgeon turned Egypt's most famous political satirist.