Ishmael is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1587 in 2008 with 100 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2017 with 158 births ranking #1183. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 29.1%. In 2008, approximately 1 in every 20,399 boys born was named Ishmael. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.