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

Ismael, 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 Ismael surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ismael in America

Ismael is the 24665th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ismael surname appeared 1,012 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ismael.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ismael 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 Ismael

The surname Ismael has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabic language. It is derived from the name "Ismail," which traces back to the biblical figure Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar. The name Ishmael means "God hears" in Hebrew.

In the early centuries of Islam, the name Ismail became popular among Arab populations. As Arab influence and migration spread across North Africa and parts of Europe, variations of the name began appearing as surnames in different regions.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Ismael can be found in the 12th-century Spanish manuscript, the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, which documented the distribution of land and property in the city of Seville after its conquest by the Christians. This suggests that the surname was present among the Moorish populations of Andalusia.

In the 13th century, the surname Ismael appeared in various records across the Mediterranean region, including Sicily, where it was sometimes spelled as "Ismaele" or "Ismaeli." During this period, the name was also found in parts of France, particularly in the southern regions that had strong ties to the Iberian Peninsula.

One notable figure with the surname Ismael was Rabí Ismail ben Haggai, a Jewish scholar and philosopher from Cordoba, Spain, who lived in the 11th century. Another was Ishaq ibn Ismael, a 9th-century Muslim scholar and philosopher from Baghdad, who made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics.

As the centuries passed, the surname Ismael and its variations continued to spread across Europe and beyond. In the 16th century, the name was recorded in Portugal, where it was sometimes rendered as "Ismael" or "Esmael." During this time, the surname also appeared in parts of Italy, such as Tuscany and Sicily.

One notable Italian figure with the surname was Giacomo Ismael, a 17th-century painter and engraver from Pisa. In France, the name was present in the 17th century, with individuals like Jacques Ismael, a lawyer and poet from Montpellier.

In the 19th century, the surname Ismael was found in various countries, including England, where individuals like William Ismael, a merchant from London, lived and worked. Another notable figure was Ismael Montes de Oca, a Mexican politician and writer who played a significant role in the Reform War of the 1850s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ismael

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

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 Ismael 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 Ismael 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 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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