Where does “Ismail” come from?

Ismail is the English form of Arabic إِسْمَاعِيل, a name of uncertain etymology whose meaning remains unknown.

Ancestry of “Ismail”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Arabic	إِسْمَاعِيل	—
2	Hebrew	יִשְׁמָעֵאל	God hears, God will hear
3	Hebrew	יִשְׁמַע	—
4	Hebrew	אֵל	a God; God, deity; god, God
5	Hebrew	שמואל	—
6	Hebrew	שְׁמוּאֵל	—