Ismael
Ismael was the 263rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,307 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 234th with 1,535 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 138 places. More babies were named Ismael in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning God hears (Spanish form of Ishmael) · Hebrew, Spanish
Say it ees-mah-EL /ismɑˈɛl/
- Rank in 2025
- #263 boys, up 87 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,307boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20241,535 babies
- Total since 1880
- 44,289babies recorded
What does the name Ismael mean?
Ismael is the Spanish, Portuguese and Latin form of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar in Genesis. DMNES and Wiktionary derive the Hebrew Yishma'el from 'God hears'; Genesis 16:11 explains the name by saying God has heard Hagar's distress. Wiktionary notes that Ishmael is traditionally regarded as the ancestor of the Arabs, and Ismail is the Arabic form. DMNES adds that a Welsh name Isfael was sometimes spelled Ismael and confused with it.
יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Biblical Hebrew, “Yishma'el, God hears”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ishmael, Ismail, Ismaël.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ishmael', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 16:11, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ishmael', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Ismael (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Ismael popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 73 since 1976.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #263 | 1,307 |
| 2020 | #350 | 905 |
| 2010 | #362 | 824 |
| 2000 | #341 | 803 |
| 1990 | #414 | 557 |
| 1980 | #421 | 386 |
| 1970 | #468 | 301 |
| 1960 | #545 | 208 |
| 1950 | #598 | 131 |
| 1940 | #1,025 | 40 |
| 1930 | #732 | 75 |
| 1920 | #1,615 | 23 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ismael, counting every spelling?
Ismael is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #241 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #263 for Ismael on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,567 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ismael | 1,307 | #263 | 6,271 |
| Ismail | 204 | #1,065 | 742 |
| Ismaeel | 29 | #3,798 | 137 |
| Izmael | 27 | #3,983 | 127 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ismael?
1,307 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ismael (0.36 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ismael born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ismael.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ismael?
About 40,700 people born in the US named Ismael are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 10 and 37. That makes Ismael mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ismael by state
How common Ismael was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (3.1×), Arizona (3.1×), California (2.5×), Texas (2.0×), Nevada (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ismael: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ismael, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ismael · Sibling names for Ismael
Questions about the name Ismael
What does Ismael mean?
Ismael means “God hears (Spanish form of Ishmael)” (Hebrew, Spanish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ismael?
Ismael was the 263rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,307 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 234th with 1,535 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 138 places. More babies were named Ismael in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Ismael a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ismael in the US.
Where is Ismael most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ismael was most common in New Mexico (2.25 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arizona and California.