Ismail is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Ismail means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Ismail across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Ismail has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Ismail is a boy name of Arabic origin meaning “God will hear”. The Arabic form of Ishmael, a prophet in Islam.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 4,022 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 4,630 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 116 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 39 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Ismail per year, England & Wales (1996 to 2025). England & Wales peaked in 2008 (205/yr) · United States peaked in 2025 (204/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (11/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2024 (7/yr).
Ismail is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #2,184 nationally (given to 420 babies that year).
Ismael · Ysmael · Ismaeel · Izmael · Osmel · Isamel · Ismel · Ismeal
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