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The ismail Surname

ismail Name Meaning and History

Muslim: from an Arabic personal name, ’Isma?il, name of a Prophet (Biblical Ishmael), son of Ibrahim (Abraham). Ibrahim left his second wife Hajar (Hagar) and their small son Ismail in the wilderness outside Mecca with only a short supply of food and water. Allah took pity on them and caused the well of Zamzam to spurt up in that desolate place, which saved their lives. Later, Ibrahim sought out his son Ismail, and together they built the Ka‘ba in Mecca, towards which all Muslims turn when praying. Arabs believe that Ismail was the founder of the Arab peoples, and for this reason Arabs are sometimes referred to as Ishmaelites. The term Ismaeli is of much more recent origin; it refers to a sect of Shiite Muslims headed by the Aga Khan, who claim descent from the Fatimid dynasty that ruled Egypt and North Africa from 909 to 1171. They take their name from Isma?il al-?Siddiq (699–765), son of the sixth Shiite imam, because they believe that the divine spirit passed to him and not to his brother Musa.

Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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The ismail name in History

A unique volume of fascinating facts, statistics and commentary following the ismail family name as far back in history as possible.

ismail Family Facts

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Distribution of ismail Families in the US in 1920
Number of ismail families
 4-5
 2-3
 1
 0
Compiled by Ancestry.com from the 1920 US Federal Census records

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Tracing MOHAMED ISHAQ ISMAIL (Additional Information) Larry Vincent 0
Tracing MOHAMED ISHAQ ISMAIL Larry Vincent 0
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