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♂ Ishmael
What does Ishmael mean?
Ishmael 
as a boys' name is pronounced EES-mah-el. It is of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Ishmael 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".
ENDS WITH -ael
Variations
VARIANTS Ismael▲, Ismail, Ysmael, Ysmail
CREATIVE FORMS(male)
(female)
MIDDLE NAME PAIRINGS
Ishmael Jeriah (I.J.), ..
How popular is Ishmael?
Ishmael is an unusual given name for men but a very prominent last name for both adults and children (#11385 out of 150436, Top 8%). (2000 U.S. DEMOGRAPHICS)
Ishmael reached its peak position of #903 in the U.S. in 1997, and is presently at #1312. (TOP BABY NAMES, 2018)
Which version is better?
Popular related forms of Ishmael (#1312 LAST YEAR) are Ismael (#358) and Ismail (#1194). Adoption of these forms of Ishmael was at its highest in 2018 (MEDIAN #954). Ismael is a constant favorite.
Similar Names
Suggested similar-sounding names are Asael, Ashbel, Ishaan▲, Isham, Ismaal, Ismal, Ismat, Ismay, Ismayl, Isme, Israel▲, Izmail, Jamael and Samael. These names tend to be more commonly used than Ishmael.
See names in meaning and etymology.[Top]