Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,473

İsmail

İsmail /ismaˈil/ ASCII Ismail

“the name Ishmael: ‘God hears’”1

Letters / syllables
6 / 3
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
İ
Contents§1–§11
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Notable people
  7. §7As a first name
  8. §8Abroad
  9. §9Sources
  10. §10Questions
  11. §11Related

How do you pronounce İsmail?

İsmail

IPA /ismaˈil/

The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname İsmail mean?

İsmail comes through Arabic from Hebrew Yishmael, built from the verb ‘to hear’ and El ‘God’: ‘God hears’. It is the name of Ishmael, son of Abraham, and a common Turkish male name; the surname continues it.1

What is İsmail made of?

İsmail is a single Arabic root: İsmail (male name; Hebrew Yishmael).

İsmail root İsmail male name; HebrewYishmael ARABIC İsmail “name of the prophetIshmael; Hebrew…” İsmail İsmail root male name; Hebrew Yishmael İsmail ARABIC “name of the prophet Ishmael;Hebrew Yishmael ‘God hears’”
İsmail: parts and root words
  • İsmail Arabic — name of the prophet Ishmael; Hebrew Yishmael ‘God hears’1

How was the name İsmail formed?

İsmail is the word İsmail (“male name; Hebrew Yishmael”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.4

Which surnames are related to İsmail?

İsmail İsmailoğlu Karaismailoğlu
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 İsmailoğlu same root – –
02 Karaismailoğlu same root – –

Who are some well-known people named İsmail?

  1. Mustafa İsmail writer 1905–1978
  2. Atik İsmail politician 1957–

People surnamed İsmail as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.

Is İsmail also a first name?

Yes. İsmail is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: the name Ishmael: ‘God hears’.

2018–2025

İsmail as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →

How is İsmail written and pronounced abroad?

Outside Türkiye the name is often written Ismail.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wiktionary: İsmail accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: İsmail accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about İsmail

Q1

What does the surname İsmail mean?

İsmail comes through Arabic from Hebrew Yishmael, built from the verb ‘to hear’ and El ‘God’: ‘God hears’. It is the name of Ishmael, son of Abraham, and a common Turkish male name; the surname continues it.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname İsmail?

The root word of İsmail is İsmail (Arabic): “name of the prophet Ishmael; Hebrew Yishmael ‘God hears’”.
Q3

How do you pronounce İsmail?

İs·ma·il, 3 syllables; IPA: /ismaˈil/.