what does the name ishmael mean
Ishmael /ish-mael/ [2 sylls.] as a boys' name is pronounced EES-mah-el. It is of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Ishmael is God listens. Biblical: the son of Abraham by Sarah's Egyptian slave woman Hagar.Among his descendants were Bedouin tribes and Muhammad (seventh century), founder of Islam. Literary: because Ishmael was cast out to wander in the desert, the name is often used symbolically, as in Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick.shmael /ish-mael/ [2 sylls.] as a boys' name is pronounced EES-mah-el. It is of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Ishmael is God listens. Biblical: the son of Abraham by Sarah's Egyptian slave woman Hagar.