Ishmael is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1183 in 2017 with 158 recorded births. This places Ishmael in the top 8% of ranked US boys' names for the year. Its actual usage is classified as Rare. The name reached its all-time peak in 2017 with 158 births ranking #1183. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 12.1%. In 2017, approximately 1 in every 11,711 boys born was named Ishmael. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.