Ismail
Boy name · #1065 in 2025 · Rare
Ismail is currently the #1065 boy name in the United States — 204 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1174, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,824 boys born in 2025 was named Ismail.
The 63-year story
Ismail first appears in the Social Security records in 1962, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 204 babies and a rank of #1064. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Ismail per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ismail against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ismail in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ismail is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Ismail will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ismail is most common
Geography matters for names, and Ismail is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Ismail is most common in NJ (0.4 per 1,000), NY (0.4 per 1,000), VA (0.3 per 1,000), IL (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Ismail is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Ismail
Statistically, parents drawn to Ismail tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Mikail, Mikhail, Isael, Shmuel, and Mikael.
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Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ismail | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 204 | #1064 |
| 2024 | 163 | #1231 |
| 2023 | 132 | #1397 |
| 2022 | 122 | #1479 |
| 2021 | 121 | #1479 |
| 2020 | 130 | #1361 |
| 2019 | 114 | #1494 |
| 2018 | 158 | #1195 |
| 2017 | 148 | #1236 |
| 2016 | 171 | #1130 |
| 2015 | 158 | #1174 |
| 2014 | 136 | #1300 |
| 2013 | 135 | #1285 |
| 2012 | 116 | #1428 |
| 2011 | 119 | #1395 |
| 2010 | 94 | #1652 |
| 2009 | 104 | #1562 |
| 2008 | 85 | #1760 |
| 2007 | 101 | #1552 |
| 2006 | 103 | #1479 |
| 2005 | 69 | #1854 |
| 2004 | 80 | #1618 |
| 2003 | 85 | #1513 |
| 2002 | 85 | #1483 |
| 2001 | 80 | #1514 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ismail a popular boy name?
Ismail ranked #1065 among boys in 2025 with 204 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1174.
When was the name Ismail most popular?
Ismail peaked in 2025, when 204 American boys received the name (ranked #1064 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Ismail?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,824 newborn American boys was named Ismail. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.