Ishmael - Name Meaning and Origin

The boy's name Ishmael \i-sh-mael\ is pronounced EES-mah-el. It is of Hebrew origin, and its meaning is "God listens". Biblical: the son of Abraham by Sarah's Egyptian slave woman Hagar. Among his descendants were Bedouin tribes and Muhammad (seventh century), founder of Islam. Literary: because Ishmael was cast out to wander in the desert, the name is often used symbolically, as in Herman Melville's novel "Moby Dick". Ismael is the Spanish form; Ismail is Arabic.

Ishmael has 4 variant forms: Ismael, Ismail, Ysmael and Ysmail.

Ishmael is a very rare male first name and a very popular surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census). Displayed below is the baby name popularity trend for the boy's name Ishmael. Click here to compare Ishmael with related baby names.