Ishmael is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1391 in 2013 with 121 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2017 with 158 births ranking #1183. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 14.2%. In 2013, approximately 1 in every 15,630 boys born was named Ishmael. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.