Boys' name · peaked in 2024
Ismael name popularity since 1925
44,027 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Ismael. Half of them were born in 2002 or earlier, so the typical Ismael is about 24 years old in 2026. Ismael peaked in 2024 as the #234 name for boys, and it ranked #263 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 44,027
- Named Ismael, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #263
- for boys in 2025 (1,307 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.8% boys
- 73 girls · 43,954 boys
- Most popular in
- Arizona
- 3.19× its national share
Peak year is the year Ismael made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Ismael births per year, 1925–2025
2024 was the biggest year for Ismael both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Fastest rise: Between 2019 and 2024, Ismael became 1.8× more common, from 1 in 2,050 baby boys to 1 in 1,120.
Shaded on the chart. This compares Ismael's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Ismael.
Decade by decade
Babies named Ismael in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 0 | 236 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 569 | #877 |
| 1940s | 0 | 817 | #681 |
| 1950s | 0 | 1,684 | #581 |
| 1960s | 0 | 2,208 | #540 |
| 1970s | 11 | 3,252 | #461 |
| 1980s | 19 | 4,256 | #420 |
| 1990s | 27 | 6,726 | #342 |
| 2000s | 16 | 8,916 | #335 |
| 2010s | 0 | 8,114 | #401 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 7,176 | #263 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
30.7% of babies named Ismael from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Z years (1997–2012). The full split by generation:
Where Ismael is most popular
The index compares Ismael's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Ismael.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 3.19× | 1,741 |
| Texas | 3.14× | 10,370 |
| California | 2.84× | 12,678 |
| New Mexico | 2.57× | 599 |
| Nevada | 2.43× | 366 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Ismael and were given to at least 1,000 boys from 1925 to 2025, with the year each one was most popular.
| Spelling | Boys | Peak year |
|---|---|---|
| Ismael (this page) | 43,954 | 2024 |
| Ismail | 4,022 | 2025 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Ismael's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Ismael.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Ismael (2024).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data