Total births
44,216
Boys' name · since 1903
Ismael
44,216 babies named Ismael in U.S. Social Security records since 1903, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #234
- among boys today
- 44,216
- born since 1903
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
44,216 babies have been named Ismael since 1903, making it today's #234 boys' name.
Ismael has 44,216 recorded births among boys since 1903, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #234 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1903 to 2025.
- #234 among boys today
- 44,216 born since 1903
- 2000s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ismael is currently the #234 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 44,216 born since 1903, peaking in the 2000s.
- #234
- among boys today
- 44,216
- born since 1903
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Ismael vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#234
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Ismael was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
1,535 babies were named Ismael in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Ismael compares
44,216 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Ismael's all-time total is 120x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ismael | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 44,216 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,535 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ismael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ismael's full recorded timeline at 1968, 88% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 12% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1903, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2024 peak of 1,535 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ismael at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2024
Current rank
#234
Active since
1903
Ismael popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1903–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 1,535
- Annual births at peak, across 123 years of records
Ismael popularity over time - girls
73 total births recorded since 1976 (Ismael as girls' name)
Ismael by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Ismael's strongest decade.
8,916 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Ismael births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 114
1910s
114 births
- 1920s 379
1920s
379 births
- 1930s 569
1930s
569 births
- 1940s 817
1940s
817 births
- 1950s 1,684
1950s
1,684 births
- 1960s 2,208
1960s
2,208 births
- 1970s 3,252
1970s
3,252 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,256 births
- 1990s
1990s
6,726 births
- 2000s
2000s
8,916 births
- 2010s
2010s
8,114 births
- 2020s
2020s
7,176 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 8,916 births (20% of all-time use).
How Ismael 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 Ismael's total volume
Ismael vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ismael by state
Where Ismael concentrates geographically, total births since 1903
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12,683 | 28.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 10,511 | 23.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 3,684 | 8.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 2,026 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 1,748 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Florida | | 1,594 | 3.6% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 1,136 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Washington | | 730 | 1.7% |
California share of Ismael's total US births 28.7%
Even split
12,683 of 44,216 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Ismael appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ismael? ▼
44,216 babies have been named Ismael since 1903. It currently ranks #234 among boys. The peak year was 2024 with 1,535 births.
When was Ismael most popular? ▼
Ismael was most popular in the 2000s decade with 8,916 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Ismael most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ismael are California (12,683 births), Texas (10,511 births), New York (3,684 births).
How long has the name Ismael been used? ▼
Ismael has been recorded in Social Security data since 1903, spanning 123 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ismael? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ismail, Ismaeel, Ismar, Ismeal, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ismael's data
- Ismael's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (8,916 total births) through the 2020s (7,176) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Ismaels (12,683 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 Ismael
Nearby Names Like Ismael
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ismael
Ismail Boy
#1233 4,022 births
Ismaeel Boy
#4995 468 births
Ismar Boy
104 births
Ismeal Boy
85 births
Ismaila Boy
#11656 61 births
Compare Ismael side by side: Ismael vs Ismail Ismael vs Ismaeel Ismael vs Ismar
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ismael
Richard #233
2,577,552 births · Peak 1946
Kyrie #235
18,612 births · Peak 2017
Malakai #232
17,830 births · Peak 2025
Louis #236
406,470 births · Peak 1921
Milan #231
18,608 births · Peak 2024
Elian #237
15,268 births · Peak 2025
Brandon #230
770,509 births · Peak 1992
Kairo #238
11,224 births · Peak 2025
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, 1903–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ismael: #234 Boys' Name - 44,216 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ismael. 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 Ismael 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.