Ishmael is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1394 in 2006 with 114 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2017 with 158 births ranking #1183. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 19.1%. In 2006, approximately 1 in every 18,027 boys born was named Ishmael. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.