Ishmam
A name derived from an Arabic word meaning "protection" or "safety".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Ishmam. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ishmam today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ishmam births was 1996 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ishmam. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ishmam with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ishmam. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1996
5 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
1996 SSA rank
#9,583
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Ishmam: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ishmam by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ishmam during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ishmam
The name Ishmam finds its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic root word "ismah," which translates to "protection" or "safety." This etymology suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals with the intention of seeking divine protection or blessings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ishmam can be traced back to the 9th century CE, when it was mentioned in various Arabic literary works and historical records. During this time, the name gained popularity among the Arab nobility and scholarly circles, possibly due to its auspicious meaning.
In Islamic tradition, the name Ishmam may have held significance as it resonates with the concept of "ismah," which refers to the infallibility or sinlessness attributed to prophets and religious leaders. However, there is no direct reference to the name Ishmam in religious scriptures or texts.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Ishmam. One such individual was Ishmam al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE), a renowned Islamic philosopher, theologian, and mystic from Persia. His works, such as "The Revival of Religious Sciences" and "The Incoherence of the Philosophers," had a profound impact on Islamic thought and philosophy.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Ishmam al-Jahiz (776-868 CE), an Arabic prose writer and author from Basra, Iraq. He is renowned for his influential works on various subjects, including literature, zoology, and theology, and is considered one of the greatest Arabic writers of his time.
In the realm of poetry, Ishmam al-Mutanabbi (915-965 CE) stands out as a celebrated Arab poet from modern-day Iraq. His poetic works, which often praised patrons and rulers, are widely regarded as masterpieces of Arabic literature and have been studied and admired for centuries.
The name Ishmam also found its way into the world of Islamic scholarship and jurisprudence. One notable figure was Ishmam al-Shafi'i (767-820 CE), the founder of the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence. His contributions to the development of Islamic legal theory and methodology were significant, and his teachings continue to be studied and followed by millions of Muslims worldwide.
Finally, Ishmam al-Bukhari (810-870 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and compiler of hadith (prophetic traditions), deserves mention. His seminal work, "Sahih al-Bukhari," is considered one of the most authentic and authoritative collections of hadith in Sunni Islam, and his methodological approach to hadith compilation has been widely influential.
People
Ishmam + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ishmam as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ishmam: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ishmam?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ishmam going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Ishmam a common name?
We classify Ishmam as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ishmam most popular?
The single biggest year for Ishmam was 1996, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ishmam is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ishmam in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ishmam a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ishmam in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ishmam still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ishmam in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ishmam can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Ishmam as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Ishmam, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.