Given name & surname
Ishmael
“God will listen”
Ishmael is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “God will listen.”
Original Hebrewישמעאל
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “God will listen.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
From Hebrew יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yishma'él (yišmāʿēl), “God hears, God will hear”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
In biblical tradition, Ishmael is the name of Abraham’s first son.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Ishmael appears in Genesis 21:20-21, Genesis 25:16, Genesis 37:25 and 3 other passages.
- Genesis 21:20-21
- Genesis 25:16
- Genesis 37:25
- 1 Chronicles 8:38
- 1 Chronicles 2:17
- 1 Chronicles 27:30
From biblical name research
Ishmael through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6,794
- 6,794 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 158 babies
- 2025
- 121
- #1,469 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −16%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 121 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,469 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 15.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 158 in 2017. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (19). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,934 as a first name in 2020; 2,725 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ishmael’s family of names
In English usage, Ishmael has a diminutive in ISH. In English usage, Ishmael shares an earlier linguistic root with Ismail. In English usage, Ishmael has a conventional equivalent in the Portuguese form Ismael.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ishmael has relatives in 16 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
13 related names in 16 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Ismaelvariant · German, Spanish
- Ismailvariant · English, Malay
- Ishdiminutive · English
- Ishmailvariant
- Ishmaylvariant
- Ishmalvariant
- Ishmaalvariant
- Izmailvariant
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 19
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 14
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ishmael
- Ishmael in IslamAbraham's first son, who was to be offered as a sacrifice; later, an ancestor to Muhammad1799 BC–1800 BC
- Ish SmithAmerican basketball playerborn 1988
- Ishmael BeahSierra Leonean writerborn 1980
- Ishmael ReedAmerican poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, playwright, editor and publisher (born 1938)
- Ishmael MillerEnglish association football player (born 1987)
- Wadada Leo SmithAmerican jazz trumpeter and composerborn 1941
- Ishmael ToroamaBougainvillean politicianborn 1969
- Ishmael El-AminAmerican basketball player (born 1998)
- Ishmael AshiteyGhanaian politician1954–2022
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Ishmael, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Abel
“the life force; breath”
>99% boys
Axel
“source of life; small oak” · “axe”
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Uriel
“the angel of light”
98% boys · 2% girls
Elnathan
“God has given”
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Eleazar
“God will help”
>99% boys
Gideon
“one who cuts down” · “a mighty warrior; one who fells trees”
>99% boys
Cain
“craftsman”
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Ozias
“power of Yah” · “Yah is strong”
>99% boys