| Bilal | Ismail | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | moisture, freshness | Arabic form of Ishmael |
| Origin | arabic | arabic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | bi-LAAL | is-maa-EEL |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2018 (195) | 2025 (204) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Bilal | Ismail |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 981 | 872 |
| 2010s | 1,580 | 1,349 |
| 2000s | 1,419 | 860 |
| 1990s | 1,071 | 544 |
| 1980s | 553 | 247 |
| 1970s | 236 | 138 |
| 1960s | 18 | 12 |
From the root b-l-l (ب-ل-ل, 'to moisten, to wet'), understood as 'moisture, wetting, freshness'. Famously borne by Bilal ibn Rabah, the Abyssinian companion of the Prophet and Islam's first muezzin.
The Arabic form of the prophet Ishmael (Isma'il), of Hebrew origin (Yishma'el, 'God will hear' or 'God hears'). The Arabic form does not derive from a native Arabic root; Ismail is the son of Ibrahim in Islamic tradition. Also spelled Ismael, Ismaeel.
Bilal and Ismail are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Bilal means moisture, freshness (arabic origin), while Ismail means Arabic form of Ishmael (arabic origin).
In US records, Bilal first appears in 0 and Ismail in 0, so Bilal has the longer recorded history.