Mustapha
/məˈstɑːfə/noun
A variant English spelling of Mustafa, an Arabic masculine given name and epithet meaning “the chosen one.”
Did you know?Al-Muṣṭafā, “the Chosen One,” is a traditional epithet for the Islamic prophet Muhammad and appears in classical Arabic religious and literary writing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ṣ-p-y/w
“A reconstructed root associated with clarity, purity, or being selected; the precise Proto-Semitic form is debated.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ṣafā
“To be pure, clear, or free from impurity; the root underlying later forms.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
iṣṭafā
“To choose or select, literally to single something or someone out.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
muṣṭafā
“Chosen, selected; the passive participle of iṣṭafā.”
Medieval Islamic usage
Arabic
al-Muṣṭafā
““The Chosen One,” a respected epithet for Muhammad.”
16th–17th Century
Ottoman Turkish
Mustafa
“A widely used masculine given name adopted from Arabic.”
Modern English
English
Mustapha
“An established variant spelling of Mustafa, especially familiar through historical and literary usage.”