Total births
297
Boys' name · since 1916
Ishmel
297 babies named Ishmel in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 2000. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 297
- total births
- 1916–2022
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
Ishmel is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 297 have been recorded since 1916.
Social Security Administration records show Ishmel recorded 297 times among boys since 1916, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2022.
- 297 total births
- 1916–2022 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 27% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
297 boys have been named Ishmel since 1916, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2022.
- 297
- total births
- 1916–2022
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 27%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Ishmel was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
12 babies were named Ishmel in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
Ishmel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ishmel's full recorded timeline at 1991, 55% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 45% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1916, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2000 peak of 12 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ishmel at a glance
Last recorded 2022Peak year
2000
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1916
Ishmel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2022
- Peak year (2000)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Ishmel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Ishmel's strongest decade.
80 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Ishmel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 13
1910s
13 births
- 1920s
1920s
54 births
- 1930s 19
1930s
19 births
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s 22
1980s
22 births
- 1990s
1990s
80 births
- 2000s
2000s
60 births
- 2010s 18
2010s
18 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 80 births (27% of all-time use).
Ishmel by state
Where Ishmel concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ishmel? ▼
Ishmel has been given to 297 babies in the U.S. since 1916, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2022. 12 babies were born in 2000, its single highest year.
When was Ishmel most popular? ▼
Ishmel was most popular in the 1990s decade with 80 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is Ishmel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ishmel are Kentucky (5 births), New York (5 births).
How long has the name Ishmel been used? ▼
Ishmel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1916, spanning 107 years of data through 2022.
What names are similar to Ishmel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ishmael, Ishaan, Ishan, Ishaq, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ishmel's data
- Ishmel's decade-level peak was the 1990s (80 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Ishmels (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky 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 Ishmel
Nearby Names Like Ishmel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ishmel
Ishmael Boy
#1489 6,794 births
Ishaan Boy
#1000 5,462 births
Ishan Boy
#2124 2,737 births
Ishaq Boy
#3017 708 births
Isham Boy
615 births
Compare Ishmel side by side: Ishmel vs Ishmael Ishmel vs Ishaan Ishmel vs Ishan
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1916–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ishmel: Baby Name Since 1916 - 297 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ishmel. 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 Ishmel 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 July 2026.