Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Ishmael” come from?

Ishmael comes from Hebrew יִשְׁמָעֵאל, composed of Hebrew יִשְׁמַע meaning "he will hear" and אֵל meaning "God."

Ancestry of “Ishmael”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1HebrewיִשְׁמָעֵאלGod hears, God will hear
2Hebrewיִשְׁמַע—
3Hebrewאֵלa God; God, deity; god, God
4Hebrewשמואל—
5Hebrewשְׁמוּאֵל—

Words derived from “Ishmael”

  • Ishmaelite
  • Ishmaelitish
Every word from Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל →