Ishmael
How to say it: ISH-mul · /ˈɪʃməl/
From Hebrew 'Yishmael' meaning 'God will hear'; son of Abraham in the Bible and Quran.
Ishmael was the 260th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 121 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 2010s, its births are up about 54% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #193 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #260 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 121 |
| Share of births | 1 in 2,275 |
| Peak decade | 2010s |
| Change over 10 years | +54% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #193 |
| In France, 2025 | #41 among boys’ names, 0 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Ishmael peaked in the 2010s.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Ish
- Ishy
Honouring a Ishmael in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Ishmael is about 1 in 95.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, Hebrew.
In France: #41 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Ishmael
- Ishmael Beah (born 1980)Sierra Leonean writer
- Ishmael Reed (born 1938)American poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, playwright, editor and publisher
- Ishmael Miller (born 1987)English association football player
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Ishmael is the narrator of Melville's Moby-Dick (1851), opening Call me Ishmael; classic-literature association.
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