boys' name ★ peaked 2024

Ismael

Meaning Ismael is a given name and surname Gender Boy Rank 2025 #263 Trend ↑ Rising 64%

Ismael is a given name and surname.

Rank 2025
#263
among boys · ↓29 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
1,307
named Ismael · -15% vs 2024
How common
1 in 1,307
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2024
1,535 babies
All-time total
44,289
#544 all-time among boys
First recorded
1903
in Social Security records

Ismael popularity over time

44,289 babies have been named Ismael since 1903, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – 5 5 1 – #1,208
1910s – 114 114 11 +2180% #1,407
1920s – 379 379 38 +232% #872
1930s – 569 569 57 +50% #693
1940s – 817 817 82 +44% #601
1950s – 1,684 1,684 168 +106% #526
1960s – 2,208 2,208 221 +31% #476
1970s 11 3,252 3,263 326 +48% #391
1980s 19 4,256 4,275 428 +31% #389
1990s 27 6,726 6,753 675 +58% #335
2000s 16 8,916 8,932 893 +32% #324
2010s – 8,114 8,114 811 -9% #359
2020s (to 2025) – 7,176 7,176 1,196 +47% #234

Where Ismael is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 1,409 0.83 #246
2027 1,503 0.88 #235
2028 1,587 0.93 #226
2029 1,662 0.97 #212
2030 1,728 1.01 #204

Where Ismael is most popular

Boys named Ismael per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.726 per 1,000. Strongest in New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Ismael born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
New Mexico 74 2.25 +209%
Arizona 364 2.22 +206%
California 1,629 1.78 +145%
Texas 1,312 1.49 +105%
Nevada 72 1.26 +74%
Colorado 150 1.16 +60%
Oregon 83 1.09 +51%
Illinois 261 1.02 +41%
Oklahoma 82 0.927 +28%
Washington 151 0.923 +27%
Nebraska 36 0.828 +14%
Kansas 55 0.802 +10%
Idaho 31 0.757 ≈ national
New Jersey 136 0.676 -7%
Arkansas 41 0.648 -11%
Iowa 41 0.595 -18%
North Carolina 150 0.587 -19%
Georgia 144 0.568 -22%
Indiana 87 0.543 -25%
Florida 252 0.532 -27%
New York 226 0.522 -28%
Massachusetts 67 0.487 -33%
Utah 45 0.471 -35%
Minnesota 54 0.440 -39%
Wisconsin 49 0.414 -43%
Tennessee 71 0.393 -46%
Maryland 46 0.386 -47%
Alabama 40 0.366 -50%
Connecticut 23 0.340 -53%
Virginia 64 0.337 -54%
South Carolina 34 0.329 -55%
Michigan 62 0.303 -58%
Pennsylvania 80 0.301 -59%
Missouri 39 0.281 -61%
Ohio 71 0.268 -63%
Louisiana 18 0.176 -76%
Kentucky 16 0.159 -78%
Mississippi 5 0.088 -88%
Alaska – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Ismael

Ismael is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #263 in 2025 with 1,307 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1903, 44,289 American babies have been named Ismael. Its peak came in 2024, when 1,535 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ismael stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ismael?

The median living Ismael is about 21 years old; half are between 9 and 36. An estimated 41 thousand people named Ismael are alive in the United States today.

median 21 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ismael year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 1,307 #263
2024 – – 1,535 #234
2023 – – 1,425 #244
2022 – – 1,076 #312
2021 – – 928 #350
2020 – – 905 #350
2019 – – 875 #365
2018 – – 919 #359
2017 – – 814 #392
2016 – – 792 #404
2015 – – 772 #401
2014 – – 807 #386
2013 – – 746 #401
2012 – – 776 #383
2011 – – 789 #376
2010 – – 824 #362
2009 – – 863 #357
2008 – – 935 #348
2007 – – 978 #327
2006 – – 988 #324
2005 5 #17,478 898 #335
2004 6 #14,853 905 #332
2003 – – 871 #332
2002 – – 809 #338
2001 – – 866 #325
2000 5 #15,975 803 #341
1995 – – 716 #342
1990 – – 557 #414
1985 – – 415 #420
1980 – – 386 #421
1975 – – 306 #461
1970 – – 301 #468
1965 – – 200 #540
1960 – – 208 #545
1955 – – 160 #581
1950 – – 131 #598
1945 – – 79 #681
1940 – – 40 #1,025
1935 – – 52 #877
1930 – – 75 #732
1925 – – 41 #1,098
1920 – – 23 #1,615
1915 – – 6 #3,614
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Ismael

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Ismael Díaz Ismael Díaz Panamanian footballer b. 1997 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Ismael Urzaiz Ismael Urzaiz Spanish former footballer (born 1971) Contemporary
  3. 3 Ismael Blanco Ismael Blanco Argentine footballer (born 1983) Contemporary
  4. 4 Ismael Montes Ismael Montes 26th and 28th President of Bolivia 1861–1933 · 19th century
  5. 5 Ismael Borrero Ismael Borrero Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler b. 1992 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Ismael Fuentes Ismael Fuentes Chilean footballer (born 1981) Contemporary
  7. 7 Ismael Kirui Kenyan long-distance runner b. 1975 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Ismael Falcón Ismael Falcón Spanish footballer (born 1984) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ismael, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ismael?

The median living Ismael is about 21 years old. Half of all living Ismaels are between 9 and 36 years old.

How many people named Ismael are alive today?

An estimated 41 thousand people named Ismael are alive in the United States, based on 44,289 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ismael mean?

Ismael is a given name and surname.

How popular is the name Ismael in 2025?

Ismael ranked #263 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,307 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ismael?

44,289 babies have been named Ismael in the United States since 1903, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ismael most popular?

Ismael peaked in 2024, when 1,535 newborns received the name.

Is Ismael a boy or girl name?

Ismael is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ismael rising or falling?

Ismael is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Ismael become more popular?

Ismael is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 1,728 boys named Ismael in 2030, which would rank around #204. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ismael?

Well-known people named Ismael include Ismael Díaz (soccer player), Ismael Urzaiz (soccer player), Ismael Blanco (soccer player).

Names like Ismael

Names that sound and feel close to Ismael: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ismael with similar names → More names starting with I →