Holding steady, #10,695 for boys today.
Popularity of Ysmael since 1918
Babies named Ysmael per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 |
| 1920s | 41 |
| 1930s | 34 |
| 1940s | 26 |
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 6 |
| 1990s | 16 |
| 2000s | 16 |
| 2010s | 24 |
| 2020s | 28 |
Meaning & origin
Ysmael is a Spanish variant of Ishmael, a biblical name meaning 'God hears.' It first appeared in U.S. records in 1918, and its peak year of usage was 1931. In recent years, the name has remained stable in popularity, currently ranking 10,695th as of 2025, with a rarity of about 1 in every 284,679 births. Despite its uncommon usage, Ysmael retains a strong cultural link to Spanish-speaking communities. The name has never cracked the top 1,000, but its steady presence suggests enduring though niche appeal.
Ysmael is a Spanish variant of Ishmael, which derives from the Hebrew Yishma'el, meaning 'God hears.' In the Bible, Ishmael is the son of Abraham and Hagar. The name has been used in Spanish-speaking countries since the Middle Ages and remains in occasional use today.
“Ysmael” around the world
Where Ysmael lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ysmay, Ysmel
Sibling names for Ysmael
Names that share Ysmael's style, for a brother or sister.
