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, Ismaël 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.