Ismael first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Ismael has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Ismael

A masculine name of Semitic origin meaning "God has listened".

Popularity of Ismael by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Ismael is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Ismael being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 1,421 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Ismael.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 1,421 0
2022 1,072 0
2021 926 0
2020 905 0
2019 874 0
2018 918 0
2017 813 0
2016 792 0
2015 772 0
2014 807 0
2013 743 0
2012 776 0
2011 789 0
2010 823 0
2009 863 0
2008 935 0
2007 978 0
2006 988 0
2005 898 5
2004 905 6
2003 871 0
2002 809 0
2001 866 0
2000 803 5
1999 785 6
1998 744 0
1997 658 0
1996 772 7
1995 716 0
1994 642 8
1993 637 6
1992 600 0
1991 615 0
1990 557 0
1989 455 6
1988 475 0
1987 434 0
1986 445 0
1985 415 0
1984 380 0
1983 424 7
1982 435 6
1981 406 0
1980 386 0
1979 419 0
1978 338 6
1977 326 0
1976 348 5
1975 306 0
1974 365 0

The history of the first name Ismael

The name Ismael has its origins in the Hebrew language, deriving from the Biblical name Yishmael, which translates to "God will hear" or "God has hearkened." It is rooted in the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East and is first mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the name of the eldest son of the patriarch Abraham.

Ismael's story is recounted in the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the Islamic tradition, he is considered a prophet and an ancestor of the Arabs through his son Kedar. The name gained widespread usage among Arabic-speaking populations after the rise of Islam in the 7th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Ismael was Ismail I, the Shah of Persia from 1501 to 1524, who founded the Safavid dynasty and established Shia Islam as the state religion of Persia. Another notable figure was Ismail Pasha, an Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Egypt from 1863 to 1867.

In the realm of literature, Ismaƫl is a character in Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby Dick," portrayed as a mysterious and enigmatic figure. The name also appears in the works of French writer Albert Camus, notably in his 1942 novel "The Stranger."

Other historical figures bearing the name Ismael include Ismail al-Bukhari (810-870), a renowned Islamic scholar and author of the hadith collection "Sahih al-Bukhari," and Ismail Ibn Kathir (1301-1373), a prominent Muslim scholar and historian from Damascus who wrote the influential work "Al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah" (The Beginning and the End).

Ismail Kadare (born 1936) is a renowned Albanian novelist and poet, known for his works exploring the complexities of life under totalitarian regimes. He was awarded the inaugural Man Booker International Prize in 2005 for his literary achievements.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Ismael was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ismael, please contact us.

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"Ismael first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/ismael-meaning-and-history/.

"Ismael first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/ismael-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Ismael first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/ismael-meaning-and-history/.

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