Ishmael is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1263 in 2005 with 124 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2017 with 158 births ranking #1183. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 12.1%. In 2005, approximately 1 in every 16,106 boys born was named Ishmael. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.