Ishmeal
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ISH-mayl
- Origin
- Hebrew
Ishmeal is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God hears”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Ishmeal mean?
Hebrew: variant of Ishmael
“God hears”
Variant of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar in the Bible, and the narrator of Moby-Dick.
Is Ishmeal a girl's or a boy's name?
Ishmeal is a boys' name.
How popular is Ishmeal in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1997, with 14 boys. It first appears in the records in 1916.
Half of all the boys named Ishmeal in the US since 1880 were born between 1942 and 2000, the years shaded on the chart below.
Ishmeal in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 7 | #9,691 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 5 | #12,080 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 7 | #9,686 |
| 2009 | 5 | #12,486 |
| 2008 | 5 | #12,546 |
| 2007 | 5 | #12,361 |
| 2006 | 9 | #7,992 |
| 2005 | 5 | #11,464 |
| 2004 | 6 | #9,941 |
| 2003 | 6 | #9,574 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 10 | #6,438 |
| 2000 | 7 | #8,202 |
| 1999 | 9 | #6,524 |
| 1998 | 7 | #7,553 |
| 1997 | 14 | #4,446 |
| 1996 | 7 | #7,129 |
| 1995 | 10 | #5,495 |
| 1994 | 13 | #4,531 |
| 1993 | 12 | #4,690 |
| 1992 | 11 | #4,864 |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 8 | #5,816 |
| 1989 | 5 | #7,898 |
| 1988 | 9 | #4,781 |
| 1987 | 7 | #5,453 |
| 1986 | 10 | #4,126 |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 5 | #6,383 |
| 1981 | 5 | #6,260 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 5 | #4,722 |
| 1969 | 5 | #4,403 |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 5 | #4,063 |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 6 | #3,211 |
| 1941 | 5 | #3,504 |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 7 | #2,868 |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 5 | #3,761 |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 6 | #3,557 |
| 1928 | 5 | #4,149 |
| 1927 | 8 | #3,150 |
| 1926 | 6 | #3,706 |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 7 | #3,530 |
| 1921 | 5 | #4,320 |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 8 | #3,114 |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 9 | #2,729 |
Names like Ishmeal
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ibrahim Yahir Imran Ismail Khalil Zamir Musa Ishaq Ahmad Isaac Avi Samuel
Names related to Ishmeal
More Hebrew names
Noah Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Jacob Ethan Daniel Elias Mateo Elsie
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Ishmeal: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ishmeal, updated 20 October 2026.