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.
- #1,484 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,466 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 6,794
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Ishmael currently ranks #1466 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 #1466 nationally and more common than 89% 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.
- #1,484 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,466 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 6,794 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ishmael ranks #1,484 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,466 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 6,794 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1,484 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,466 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 6,794
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Ishmael's 6,794 recorded births place it above 96.73% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
25 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Ishmael compares
6,794 Top 11% higher than 89% of 13,930 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 18x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ishmael | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,794 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 158 | 34 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (1,355 births, 20% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Ishmael sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ishmael most popular? ▼
Where is Ishmael most popular? ▼
How long has the name Ishmael been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ishmael? ▼
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
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
Compare Ishmael side by side: Ishmael vs Ishaan Ishmael vs Ishan Ishmael vs Ishaq
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ishmael
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ishmael: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2017)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.