Total births
6,794
Boys' name · since 1880
Ishmael
Ishmael has 6,794 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2017 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1489
- among boys today
- 6,794
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Ishmael currently ranks #1489 among boys' names in America, with 6,794 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ishmael has been recorded 6,794 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1489 nationally and more common than 90% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1489 among boys today
- 6,794 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ishmael is currently the #1489 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 6,794 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1489
- among boys today
- 6,794
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Ishmael vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1489
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Ishmael was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
158 babies were named Ishmael in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Ishmael compares
6,794 Top 10% higher than 90% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ishmael's all-time total is 19x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ishmael | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,794 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 158 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ishmael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ishmael splits its recorded history at 1964: 82% of all births land in the more recent half, 18% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1892 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2017 peak of 158 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ishmael at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2017
Current rank
#1,489
Active since
1880
Ishmael popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 158
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ishmael by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Ishmael's strongest decade.
1,355 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Ishmael births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 17
1890s
17 births
- 1900s 17
1900s
17 births
- 1910s 296
1910s
296 births
- 1920s 321
1920s
321 births
- 1930s 223
1930s
223 births
- 1940s 146
1940s
146 births
- 1950s 164
1950s
164 births
- 1960s 155
1960s
155 births
- 1970s 372
1970s
372 births
- 1980s 538
1980s
538 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,233 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,205 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,355 births
- 2020s
2020s
746 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,355 births (20% of all-time use).
How Ishmael compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ishmael's total volume
Ishmael vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ishmael by state
Where Ishmael concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 664 | 9.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 622 | 9.2% |
| #3 | Florida | | 448 | 6.6% |
| #4 | Texas | | 430 | 6.3% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 241 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 203 | 3.0% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 181 | 2.7% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 117 | 1.7% |
California share of Ishmael's total US births 9.8%
Even split
664 of 6,794 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Ishmael appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ishmael? ▼
Ishmael has been given to 6,794 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1489 as of the latest data. 158 babies were born in 2017, its single highest year.
When was Ishmael most popular? ▼
Ishmael was most popular in the 2010s decade with 1,355 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Ishmael most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ishmael are California (664 births), New York (622 births), Florida (448 births).
How long has the name Ishmael been used? ▼
Records for Ishmael go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ishmael? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ishaan, Ishan, Ishaq, Isham, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ishmael's data
- Ishmael's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,355 total births) through the 2020s (746) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Ishmaels (664 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ishmael
Nearby Names Like Ishmael
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ishmael
Ishaan Boy
#1000 5,462 births
Ishan Boy
#2124 2,737 births
Ishaq Boy
#3017 708 births
Isham Boy
615 births
Ishmeal Boy
301 births
Compare Ishmael side by side: Ishmael vs Ishaan Ishmael vs Ishan Ishmael vs Ishaq
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ishmael
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ishmael: #1489 Boys' Name - 6,794 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ishmael. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ishmael draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.