Quick answer
Ishmael is a boy name with Hebrew roots meaning "God will hear".
Pronunciation: English /ˈɪʃ.meɪ.əl/.
Meaning and history
This name comes from the Hebrew name יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Yishmaʿel) meaning "God will hear", from the roots שָׁמַע ( shamaʿ ) meaning "to hear" and אֵל ( ʾel ) meaning "God". In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of Abraham. He is the traditional ancestor of the Arab people. Also in the Old Testament, it is borne by a man who assassinates Gedaliah the governor of Judah. The author Herman Melville later used this name for the narrator in his novel Moby-Dick (1851).
Notes and context
Usage: biblical | Ancient Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל