Ismael

How to say it

/ˌis.mɑˈel/

What it means

The Spanish and Arabic form of Ishmael, from the Hebrew Yishma'el, 'God will hear' or 'God listens.'

Ismael is the Spanish and French spelling of Ishmael, from the Hebrew Yishma'el, 'God will hear.' In the Bible he is Abraham's first son by Hagar; in Islam, Ismail is a prophet and the ancestor of the Arab peoples, which makes the name common across the Muslim world. English speakers also know the Ishmael who opens Moby-Dick. The Ismael spelling is standard in Spanish-speaking communities. Isma is the usual short.

Heads-up notes

• Spelling

  Ismael is Spanish and French, Ismail is the common Arabic transliteration, Ishmael is the English biblical form.

• Pop culture

  'Call me Ishmael' opens Moby-Dick; in Islam, Ismail is a revered prophet.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Ismail Abraham's son and a prophet in Islam, ancestor of the Arab peoples
• Ishmael the narrator who opens Herman Melville's Moby-Dick

Spelling variants

• Ishmael
• Ismail
• Esmael

Names with the same feeling

• Elias Yahweh is God
• Gael Joyful, or 'Gaelic'
• Abel Breath, vapor
• Isaac He will laugh
• Amir Prince, commander

See Ismael from another angle