boy's name
Ishmael
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 7,368
Ishmael is a boy's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 121 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 2017, when 158 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 27,400 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ishmael over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 6 |
| 1890s | 17 |
| 1900s | 17 |
| 1910s | 296 |
| 1920s | 321 |
| 1930s | 223 |
| 1940s | 146 |
| 1950s | 164 |
| 1960s | 155 |
| 1970s | 372 |
| 1980s | 538 |
| 1990s | 1,233 |
| 2000s | 1,205 |
| 2010s | 1,355 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 746 |
How popular is Ishmael?
In 2025, Ishmael was given to 121 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Ishmael is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Ishmael is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Ishmaël | Ishmaël is a rare spelling of Ishmael, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Ishmael
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ishmael also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ishmael over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Ishmael
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ishmael — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ishmael
How popular is the name Ishmael?
In 2025, Ishmael was given to 121 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Ishmael a girl's or a boy's name?
Ishmael is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ishmael?
Ishmael has 2 syllables.
When was Ishmael most popular?
Ishmael peaked in 2017, when 158 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Ishmael a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ishmael currently ranks #1,469 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.