Ishmael is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1437 in 2009 with 117 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2017 with 158 births ranking #1183. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 17.0%. In 2009, approximately 1 in every 16,951 boys born was named Ishmael. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.