Ismael Boy

Popularity: #223 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: iz-MA-el //ɪzˈmɑːɛl//

Origin: Hebrew; Arabic

Meaning: Hebrew: God will hear; Arabic: the heard one

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Ismael has its roots in the Hebrew name Yishma'el, which translates to "God will hear." This name appears in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Genesis, where Ismael is the son of Abraham and Hagar, making him a significant figure in the Abrahamic traditions. The name was subsequently adopted into Greek as Ismaēl and later into Latin as Ismahel, before making its way into Old French as Ismaël.

The transition into English occurred through these linguistic adaptations, with the name appearing in various forms throughout the medieval period. Ismael's historical significance is underscored by its biblical origins, as it is associated with themes of divine promise and the complexities of familial relationships.

The narrative of Ismael in the Bible has been influential in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, with the figure being recognized as a prophet in Islam. The name has been used in various religious texts and translations, including the King James Bible, which helped to solidify its presence in English-speaking cultures during the early 17th century.

Culturally, Ismael carries connotations of resilience and the human experience of being caught between different worlds, as reflected in the biblical story. The name has also been embraced in various forms across different cultures, with diminutives like Ish or Isma being used in some contexts.

The enduring legacy of Ismael is evident in literature and art, where the character often symbolizes themes of exile and hope, resonating with audiences across centuries.

Famous people named Ismael

In this section, you will find notable people named Ismael. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Ismael who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Ismael who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Ismael Beah is an author best known for A Long Way Gone, Radiance of Tomorrow, and The Long Way Home.

Ismael Cala is a television presenter and author best known for his work on CNN en Español and his books on personal development.

Ismael Serrano is a singer-songwriter best known for his albums like Atrapados en Azul, La Memoria de los Peces, and Los Viajes de Gulliver.

Fictional characters named Ismael

The following list of fictional characters named Ismael is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Ismael is a fictional character from the novel Moby-Dick. He is the narrator of the story and provides insight into the whaling voyage and Captain Ahab's obsession with the white whale.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Ismael, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

IsaacIbrahimIshmaelElijahSamuelDaniel

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Ismael. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

IshmaelIsmaëlIsmailEzraGabrielSamuelNathanielEmmanuel

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Ismael was first seen in the United States in 1903.

Ismael has ranked as high as #447 nationally, which occurred in 2024, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Arizona.

In the past 5 years the name Ismael has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Ismael is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Ismael was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Top States for Ismael (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

State Births Share
CA 407
27%
TX 311
21%
AZ 83
6%
NY 62
4%
IL 57
4%
FL 55
4%
GA 46
3%
CO 38
3%
NC 34
2%
NJ 30
2%
WA 29
2%
TN 23
2%
OH 22
1%
OK 21
1%
NM 21
1%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Ismael.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,307 1,307 0
2024 1,535 1,535 0
2023 1,425 1,425 0
2022 1,076 1,076 0
2021 928 928 0
2020 905 905 0
2019 875 875 0
2018 919 919 0
2017 814 814 0
2016 792 792 0
2015 772 772 0
2014 807 807 0
2013 746 746 0
2012 776 776 0
2011 789 789 0
2010 824 824 0
2009 863 863 0
2008 935 935 0
2007 978 978 0
2006 988 988 0
2005 903 898 5
2004 911 905 6
2003 871 871 0
2002 809 809 0
2001 866 866 0
2000 808 803 5
1999 791 785 6
1998 744 744 0
1997 658 658 0
1996 779 772 7
1995 716 716 0
1994 650 642 8
1993 643 637 6
1992 600 600 0
1991 615 615 0
1990 557 557 0
1989 462 456 6
1988 475 475 0
1987 434 434 0
1986 445 445 0
1985 415 415 0
1984 380 380 0
1983 431 424 7
1982 441 435 6
1981 406 406 0
1980 386 386 0
1979 419 419 0
1978 344 338 6
1977 326 326 0
1976 354 349 5
1975 306 306 0
1974 365 365 0
1973 279 279 0
1972 280 280 0
1971 289 289 0
1970 301 301 0
1969 247 247 0
1968 255 255 0
1967 220 220 0
1966 233 233 0
1965 200 200 0
1964 218 218 0
1963 213 213 0
1962 233 233 0
1961 181 181 0
1960 208 208 0
1959 195 195 0
1958 191 191 0
1957 196 196 0
1956 202 202 0
1955 160 160 0
1954 161 161 0
1953 165 165 0
1952 145 145 0
1951 138 138 0
1950 131 131 0
1949 129 129 0
1948 116 116 0
1947 104 104 0
1946 96 96 0
1945 79 79 0
1944 79 79 0
1943 50 50 0
1942 65 65 0
1941 59 59 0
1940 40 40 0
1939 55 55 0
1938 58 58 0
1937 49 49 0
1936 39 39 0
1935 52 52 0
1934 40 40 0
1933 68 68 0
1932 57 57 0
1931 76 76 0
1930 75 75 0
1929 58 58 0
1928 51 51 0
1927 43 43 0
1926 43 43 0
1925 41 41 0
1924 28 28 0
1923 37 37 0
1922 27 27 0
1921 28 28 0
1920 23 23 0
1919 20 20 0
1918 13 13 0
1917 20 20 0
1916 10 10 0
1915 6 6 0
1914 15 15 0
1913 15 15 0
1912 8 8 0
1911 7 7 0
1903 5 5 0