Ismael
The Spanish and French form of Ishmael, from Hebrew Yishmael, meaning God will hear. He appears in Genesis as the son of Abraham and Hagar.
Ismael in 2025
Ismael was given to 1,307 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 515th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 2,537 babies born.
The history of Ismael
Ismael reached its highest point in 2024, when 1,535 babies were given the name, ranking 447th that year.
Across the 123 years of records since 1903, 44,289 babies have been named Ismael. Half of them were born before 2002, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Ismael by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ismael | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 5 | 2,870 |
| 1910s | 114 | 2,807 |
| 1920s | 379 | 1,739 |
| 1930s | 569 | 1,415 |
| 1940s | 817 | 1,328 |
| 1950s | 1,684 | 1,182 |
| 1960s | 2,208 | 1,057 |
| 1970s | 3,263 | 868 |
| 1980s | 4,275 | 851 |
| 1990s | 6,753 | 684 |
| 2000s | 8,932 | 665 |
| 2010s | 8,114 | 711 |
| 2020s | 7,176 | 447 |
Where Ismael is heading
Ismael has risen 69% over the past decade, from 772 babies in 2015 to 1,307 in 2025.
Names like Ismael
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ismael.