Ismael

Ismael is Spanish and Portuguese rendition of the Biblical name Ishmael and the form used in the Greek New Testament. Currently, it is the variant that ranks most highly on the US charts and it is popular among the Hispanic community, both in the US, and globally.

Derived from Hebrew, Ismael means "God will hear", and in the Bible, he is the son of Abraham, the ancestor of the Arab people. While Ishmael is remembered as the narrator of Herman Melville's Moby Dick, Ismael is slightly sleeker, more internationally friendly, and popular in France, Spain, Brazil and Mexico.

With nicknames Mael and Izzy, Ismael is given to over 1400 babies every year in the US and was a fast rising name in 2024.

Ismael is also given to girls.

Pronounced iss-mah-EL.

As of October 2026, Ismael ranked #17476 in US births in 2005 SSA, peaked at #8350 in 1983.