Find out how popular the last name Ishmael is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ishmael.

Ishmael, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ishmael surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ishmael in America

Ishmael is the 11456th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ishmael surname appeared 2,750 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ishmael.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ishmael to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ishmael

The surname Ishmael originates from the Hebrew name Yishma'el, meaning "God hears". It has its roots in the biblical figure Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, as depicted in the Book of Genesis. The name gained widespread recognition and usage among Jewish and Arab communities, eventually finding its way into various cultures and languages.

The earliest known historical references to the surname Ishmael can be traced back to the Middle Ages. In England, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were records of landowners and their holdings. Variations of the spelling, such as Ismael and Ismayle, were also documented during this period.

In the 14th century, the surname Ishmael began appearing in various regions of France, particularly in the southern regions. Records from the city of Montpellier mention individuals with the surname Ishmael, indicating its presence in the area. Additionally, the name can be found in historical records from Italy and Spain during the same time period.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Ishmael was Sir John Ishmael (c. 1395-1459), a Welsh landowner and Member of Parliament for Carmarthenshire in 1421 and 1429. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Ishmael (c. 1450-1537), a Welsh judge and landowner who served as Chief Justice of Glamorgan.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Ishmael continued to be prominent in various parts of Europe. In England, the name was associated with several notable individuals, including John Ishmael (c. 1580-1650), a merchant and politician who served as Sheriff of London in 1630. Another notable figure was Edward Ishmael (c. 1620-1695), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.

In France, the surname Ishmael was also present during this period. One notable individual was Jean Ishmael (c. 1610-1685), a French Protestant minister and scholar who authored several religious texts.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Ishmael continued to be found in various parts of the world, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in various fields, including literature, politics, and academia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ishmael

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ishmael.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ishmael was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ishmael has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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