Ismail
About Ismail
This classic, handsome Arabic name — cognate of the Hebrew Ishmael — was chosen by Tan and Rob France for their son born in 2021. Ismail is the preferred spelling in England, Germany, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Turkey, while Ismael ranks higher in countries with native Spanish speakers, including the US.
Pronounced is-MAYL.
As of October 2026, Ismail ranked #1065 in US births in 2025 SSA.
Editor: Sophie Kihm
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,301 | 136 | 70.8 |
| 2015 | #1,177 | 158 | 82.4 |
| 2016 | #1,131 | 171 | 90.1 |
| 2017 | #1,240 | 148 | 80 |
| 2018 | #1,196 | 158 | 87 |
| 2019 | #1,500 | 114 | 63.5 |
| 2020 | #1,361 | 130 | 75.3 |
| 2021 | #1,483 | 121 | 69.2 |
| 2022 | #1,484 | 122 | 69.9 |
| 2023 | #1,398 | 132 | 77.2 |
| 2024 | #1,228 | 163 | 94.6 |
| 2025 | #1,065 | 204 | 119.4 |
World rankings
Similar names
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Ismail on lists
Famous Ismails
- Ismail I
III, Shahs of Iran
- Ismail Abdel Salam Ahmed Haniyeh
former prime minister of Palestine
- Ismail Matar
Emirati footballer
- Ismail Kadare
Albanian novelist
- Ismaïl Aissati
Moroccan footballer
- Ismail al
Jazari, Turkish polymath
Ismail in pop culture
- Ismail "Uncle Joe
" character in "Does My Head Look Big in This?"