Ishmael

“God hears; God will hear” — Hebrew origin

Boy's name · #1466 in the US (2025) · 2010s

Ishmael has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #783 (1912) · 6,794 babies named Ishmael all-time · 1 in 14,000 boys born in 2025.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 10 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Ishmaels

Ishmael Beah — Sierra Leonean writer
Ishmael Reed — American poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, playwright, editor and publisher
Ishmael Miller — English association football player (born 1987)
Ishmael Kalsakau — Vanuatuan politician
Ishmael Toroama — Bougainvillean politician

Among 52 notable people named Ishmael:

Athletes appear 2.58× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ishmael Miller, English association football player (born 1987).

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