Ishmael is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1187 in 2002 with 118 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2017 with 158 births ranking #1183. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 16.3%. In 2002, approximately 1 in every 16,453 boys born was named Ishmael. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.