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Ishmeal

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Ishmeal

Pronounced ISH-mee-ul /ˈɪʃ.mi.əl/Medium

Meaning: Ishmeal is a spelling variant of the biblical Ishmael, from Hebrew Yishma'el, 'God has heard' or 'God will hear.' In the book of Genesis Ishmael is the son of Abraham and Hagar; he is also honored as a patriarch in Islamic tradition. The name is treated with the reverence its scriptural weight deserves.Low

In 30 seconds: Ishmeal is a spelling of the biblical Ishmael, 'God has heard' (say it ISH-mee-ul). A scriptural name of deep and shared heritage.

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Origin LowHebrew

MeaningIshmeal is a spelling variant of the biblical Ishmael, from Hebrew Yishma'el, 'God has heard' or 'God will hear.' In the book of Genesis Ishmael is the son of Abraham and Hagar; he is also honored as a patriarch in Islamic tradition. The name is treated with the reverence its scriptural weight deserves.

U.S. rank (2017)#10116 ↗ Rising

2017 U.S. births7 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1997

Total births (all-time)≈ 301

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ishmeal is a variant spelling of Ishmael, from the Hebrew Yishma'el, 'God has heard.' In Genesis he is the firstborn son of Abraham, and he is revered as a prophet and patriarch in Islamic tradition as well, which gives the name meaning across Jewish, Christian, and Muslim families. This spelling stayed rare in American use, cresting at only about fifteen boys a year in the late 1990s.

An Ishmeal from its recent peak would be a young adult today. The name carries obvious scriptural gravity; the plainer Ishmael is the far more common spelling. It sits beside Ishmael, Ismael, and other Abrahamic names in feel.

Did you know? Ishmael's name comes from the Hebrew for 'God has heard' - given, the Genesis account says, because God heard the distress of his mother Hagar in the wilderness.

Overall data confidence 35%

References - Ishmeal — Variant of biblical Ishmael, Hebrew 'God has heard'

Variations

IshmaelIsmaelIsmail

Nicknames

IshMel

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If you like Ishmeal…

Ishmael— the standard biblical spelling Ishmeal varies

Ismael— the Spanish form of the same name

Ismail— the Arabic form of the same patriarch's name

Abraham— the father of Ishmael in scripture

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By themehebrew variant biblical reverent

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ishmeal mean?

Ishmeal means 'God has heard,' carried from the Hebrew name Ishmael, the son of Abraham in Genesis.

How do you pronounce Ishmeal?

It is commonly said ISH-mee-ul, three syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Ishmeal a boy or a girl name?

Ishmeal is a boy's name.

Is Ishmeal a popular name?

No. This spelling has always been rare, reaching its modest best in the late nineteen-nineties, while Ishmael is the more common form.