Ishmael is a distinctive choice, ranked #3256 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Ishmael in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#3256
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About the Name Ishmael
Ishmael has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 629 places in five years. It was most popular in 1996 at #728 โ parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Ishmael is rare in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Ishmael in their class.
โญ Famous People Named Ishmael
Ishmael Muhammad โ Ishmael Muhammad is an American minister for the Nation of Islam, an organization which combines black nationalism and Islamic teachings.
Ishmael El-Amin โ Ishmael El-Amin is an American professional basketball player for Napoli Basket of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).
Ishmael Davis โ Ishmael Davis is an English professional boxer.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Ishmael
Unlikely. With around 6 UK babies named Ishmael per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ishmael in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Ishmael is declining: down 1,621 places since 2020, to #3,256 in 2025. It peaked at #728 in 1996.
Ishmael is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Ishmael include: Ishmael Muhammad, Ishmael El-Amin and Ishmael Davis. Short summaries for each appear below.
Ishmael does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice โ your child is unlikely to encounter American Ishmaels in the wild.
6
UK babies named Ishmael (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 1621 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Ishmael
Almost certainly the only Ishmael in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Ishmael
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story