Ismail
Boy nameIsmail has been given to 4,022 babies in the U.S. since 1962. It peaked in 2025.
Meaning & origin
From Arabic إِسْمَاعِيل (ʔismāʕīl). Doublet of Ishmael.
Origin: Arabic
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
4,022
Peak year
2025 (204 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1962
10-year trend
▲ +29%
Gender split
All boys
Spellings & variants
Names one letter away from Ismail — alternate spellings parents actually use.
Famous people named Ismail
Ismail Haniyeh
Hamas leader (1962–2025)
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)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Ismail.
FAQ
How popular is the name Ismail?
Ismail has been given to 4,022 babies in the U.S. since 1962. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name Ismail peak?
Ismail peaked in 2025, when 204 babies were given the name.
Is Ismail a girl or boy name?
Ismail is primarily a boy name (100% of babies named Ismail are boys).
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