Ismail

“Variant of Ishmael — God hears; God will hear” — Hebrew origin

Boy's name · #1065 in the US (2025) · Trending

Ismail is moving up the charts. First recorded in 1962, it stood at #1065 in 2025 — its strongest showing yet; about 4,000 boys have been named Ismail along the way. Izzy is a short form of Ismail.

Around the world: #24 in Bosnia (FBiH) (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 11 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Ismails

Ismail Kadare — Albanian writer (1936–2024)
Ismail I — founder and first shah of Safavid Iran
Ismail Omar Guelleh — President of Djibouti since 1999
Ismail al-Faruqi — Palestinian-American Muslim philosopher and scholar (1921–1986)
Ismail Kemal — Prime Minister of Albania (1844-1919)

What Ismails become

Among 1,129 notable people named Ismail:

Political leaders appear 2.21× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti since 1999.

Similar names: Ishmael · Tzvi · Yisroel · Eliyahu · Gavriel · Haziel

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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