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Ishmael Family History

Ishmael Surname Meaning

Assyrian/Chaldean West Indian (mainly Trinidad and Tobago) and African (mainly Nigeria): from the Biblical personal name Ishmael.

Hebrew Yishma’el borne by the first son of the patriarch Abraham and his handmaiden Hagar. The name's meaning in Hebrew is translated literally as ‘God has hearkened’.

Compare Esmail, Ismael, and Ismail.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Ishmael family from?

You can see how Ishmael families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ishmael family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ishmael families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 25 Ishmael families living in Cardiganshire. This was about 45% of all the recorded Ishmael's in United Kingdom. Cardiganshire had the highest population of Ishmael families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ishmael surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Ishmael ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Ishmael. 100% of Ishmael women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Ishmael | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Ishmael family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Ishmael. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ishmael census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ishmael

Passenger Lists

There are 559 immigration records available for the last name Ishmael. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ishmael immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Ishmael. For the veterans among your Ishmael ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ishmael military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ishmael family history

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What is the average Ishmael lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Ishmael life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Ishmael in 1946 was 43, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ishmael

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ishmael ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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