Ismail: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,065

among boys · ↑167 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

204

named Ismail · +25% vs 2024

How common

1 in 8,373

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2025

204 babies

All-time total

4,022

#2,078 all-time among boys

First recorded

1962

in Social Security records

Ismail popularity over time

4,022 babies have been named Ismail since 1962, 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

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	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	12	1	–	#3,426
1970s	138	14	+1050%	#1,883
1980s	247	25	+79%	#1,797
1990s	544	54	+120%	#1,550
2000s	860	86	+58%	#1,481
2010s	1,349	135	+57%	#1,131
2020s (to 2025)	872	145	+8%	#1,065

Where Ismail 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	213	0.12	outside top 500
2027	221	0.13	outside top 500
2028	228	0.13	outside top 500
2029	234	0.14	outside top 500
2030	240	0.14	outside top 500

Where Ismail is most popular

Boys named Ismail per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.086 per 1,000. Strongest in New York, Minnesota, and New Jersey.

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 Ismail 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 York	121	0.279	+225%
Minnesota	34	0.277	+223%
New Jersey	40	0.199	+131%
Virginia	36	0.190	+121%
Illinois	45	0.176	+105%
Michigan	29	0.142	+65%
Maryland	13	0.109	+27%
Ohio	28	0.106	+23%
Texas	77	0.087	≈ national
California	78	0.085	≈ national
Pennsylvania	6	0.023	-74%
Georgia	5	0.020	-77%
North Carolina	5	0.020	-77%
Florida	5	0.011	-88%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Washington	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
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 Ismail

Ismail is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,065 in 2025 with 204 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1962, 4,022 American babies have been named Ismail. Its peak came in 2025, when 204 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 Ismail stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ismail?

The median living Ismail is about 13 years old; half are between 7 and 24. An estimated 4,000 people named Ismail are alive in the United States today.

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

Ismail year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	204	#1,065
2024	163	#1,232
2023	132	#1,398
2022	122	#1,485
2021	121	#1,485
2020	130	#1,363
2019	114	#1,501
2018	158	#1,196
2017	148	#1,240
2016	171	#1,131
2015	158	#1,177
2014	136	#1,301
2013	135	#1,289
2012	116	#1,435
2011	119	#1,398
2010	94	#1,661
2009	104	#1,566
2008	85	#1,767
2007	101	#1,557
2006	103	#1,481
2005	69	#1,861
2004	80	#1,620
2003	85	#1,520
2002	85	#1,489
2001	80	#1,517
2000	68	#1,690
1995	52	#1,717
1990	42	#1,853
1985	17	#2,880
1980	30	#1,882
1975	14	#2,814
1970	7	#4,014
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Ismail

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

1 Ismail Haniyeh Palestinian politician (c.1962–2024) Contemporary
2 Ismail I Shah of Safavid Iran from 1501 to 1524 1487–1524 · Medieval
3 Ismail Ibn Sharif Sultan of Morocco from 1672 to 1727 1646–1727 · 17th century
4 Ismail Merchant Indian film producer (1936–2005) Contemporary
5 Ismail al-Jazari Muslim engineer and artist (1136–1206) Medieval
6 Ismail Kadare Albanian writer (1936–2024) Contemporary
7 Isma'il Pasha Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879 1830–1895 · 19th century
8 Ismail II Safavid Shah of Iran from 1576 to 1577 1533–1577 · 16th century
9 Ismail Qemali Founder and 1st Prime Minister of Albania 1844–1919 · 19th century
10 Ismail Khan Afghan politician and former warlord (born 1946) Contemporary
11 Ismail al-Azhari President of Sudan from 1965 to 1969 1901–1969 · Contemporary
12 Isma'il ibn Ja'far Sixth of the Isma'ili Shia Imams 721–755 · Medieval
13 Ismail Abdullatif Bahraini footballer b. 1986 · Contemporary
14 İsmail Köybaşı Turkish footballer (born 1989) Contemporary
15 Isma'il ibn Ahmad Amir of the Samanid Empire from 892 to 907 849–907 · Medieval
16 Ismail Ahmed Ismail Sudanese runner (born 1984) Contemporary
17 Ismail Al Hammadi Emirati footballer (born 1988) Contemporary
18 Ismail Gaspirali Crimean Tatar intellectual, educator, publisher, and politician 1851–1914 · 19th century
19 Ismail Abilov Bulgarian freestyle wrestler b. 1951 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ismail?

The median living Ismail is about 13 years old. Half of all living Ismails are between 7 and 24 years old.

How many people named Ismail are alive today?

An estimated 4,000 people named Ismail are alive in the United States, based on 4,022 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ismail mean?

From Arabic إِسْمَاعِيل (ʔismāʕīl).

How popular is the name Ismail in 2025?

Ismail ranked #1,065 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 204 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ismail?

4,022 babies have been named Ismail in the United States since 1962, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ismail most popular?

Ismail peaked in 2025, when 204 newborns received the name.

Is Ismail a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Ismail rising or falling?

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

Will Ismail become more popular?

Ismail is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 240 boys named Ismail in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ismail?

Well-known people named Ismail include Ismail Haniyeh (politician), Ismail I (writer), Ismail Ibn Sharif (politician).

Names like Ismail

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

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