Fun Facts About the Name Israel
- More than 72 thousand babies named Israel: U.S. records list 72,850 babies given the name Israel from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,635 girls received the name Israel - about 1 girl for every 44 boys.
What Does the Name Israel Mean?
Israel is a Hebrew name, יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel), formed from the divine element El (אֵל), a common Northwest Semitic word for God, plus a first element usually understood as a verb form. Read that way, the name means something like "God contends" or "one who strives with God."
The Hebrew Bible gives its own explanation. In Genesis 32, Jacob wrestles through the night at Peniel and is renamed Israel, with the words "you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." That verse is a traditional wordplay on the name rather than a modern linguistic derivation, but it is the source of the customary meaning "struggles with God."
The first element is disputed. Some derive it from the root שָׂרַר (śarar), "to rule" or "to prevail," which yields "God rules" or "God prevails." Others link it to the root שָׂרָה (śarah), "to strive" or "contend," which appears in Hosea 12:4 in a passage that also recalls Jacob's struggle. Whether the name is a statement about God ("God rules") or a description of the one who strives is likewise debated. The familiar English gloss "prince with God" comes from a translation choice in older English Bibles, not from the Hebrew etymology.
Israel Name History & Origins
The name serves in the Hebrew Bible as both a personal name and a collective one. Genesis gives it to the patriarch Jacob after the wrestling at Peniel, and it becomes the name of his descendants, the Israelites, and of their land. After the kingdom divided following Solomon's reign, Israel was the name of the northern kingdom, separate from Judah in the south; that northern kingdom fell to Assyria in the eighth century BCE.
From Hebrew the name passed into Greek as Ἰσραήλ (Israēl) in the Septuagint and the New Testament, and into Latin as Israel. English Bibles took it over in that form, using it for both the patriarch and the nation. Arabic has إسرائيل (Isrāʾīl), and comparable forms exist in most languages shaped by Jewish or Christian scripture.
Israel has long been used as a personal given name in Jewish communities. In the English-speaking world it also appears among the Old Testament names used by Christians, and bearers include the American Revolutionary War general Israel Putnam (1718 - 1790) and the British writer Israel Zangwill (1864 - 1926). The modern state founded in 1948 took the same name.
How Popular is the Name Israel?
Israel recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2007. Its best rank was #202 in 2006.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,605 | 42 | 0.0026% |
| 2024 | #3,901 | 38 | 0.0024% |
| 2023 | #3,054 | 54 | 0.0034% |
| 2022 | #2,971 | 56 | 0.0034% |
| 2021 | #2,937 | 57 | 0.0035% |
| 2020 | #2,759 | 60 | 0.0037% |
| 2019 | #2,546 | 69 | 0.0041% |
| 2018 | #2,516 | 70 | 0.0041% |
| 2017 | #2,982 | 55 | 0.0032% |
| 2016 | #3,154 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 2015 | #2,905 | 60 | 0.0034% |
| 2014 | #2,945 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 2013 | #3,379 | 47 | 0.0027% |
| 2012 | #4,424 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2011 | #4,099 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2010 | #3,915 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 2009 | #4,524 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2008 | #3,397 | 49 | 0.0026% |
| 2007 | #3,031 | 58 | 0.0030% |
| 2006 | #4,394 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2005 | #3,668 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 2004 | #4,318 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2003 | #4,061 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2002 | #4,111 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2001 | #3,577 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2000 | #3,478 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1999 | #3,464 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 1998 | #2,861 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 1997 | #4,571 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1996 | #4,359 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1995 | #3,445 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1994 | #3,322 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 1993 | #5,074 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1992 | #3,360 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1991 | #4,705 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1990 | #5,938 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #6,809 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1987 | #9,144 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #6,459 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #8,351 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #7,726 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #6,502 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #4,590 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1979 | #4,923 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1978 | #7,197 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #7,122 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #9,836 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #6,135 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1973 | #6,921 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #7,612 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #8,792 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #6,306 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #5,747 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #315 | 1,081 | 0.0633% |
| 2024 | #279 | 1,220 | 0.0711% |
| 2023 | #229 | 1,535 | 0.0898% |
| 2022 | #233 | 1,506 | 0.0863% |
| 2021 | #234 | 1,547 | 0.0885% |
| 2020 | #237 | 1,532 | 0.0888% |
| 2019 | #233 | 1,622 | 0.0904% |
| 2018 | #240 | 1,593 | 0.0877% |
| 2017 | #235 | 1,593 | 0.0861% |
| 2016 | #232 | 1,679 | 0.0885% |
| 2015 | #240 | 1,582 | 0.0826% |
| 2014 | #242 | 1,541 | 0.0802% |
| 2013 | #245 | 1,473 | 0.0779% |
| 2012 | #253 | 1,450 | 0.0765% |
| 2011 | #218 | 1,612 | 0.0849% |
| 2010 | #220 | 1,626 | 0.0848% |
| 2009 | #211 | 1,776 | 0.0895% |
| 2008 | #210 | 1,832 | 0.0898% |
| 2007 | #204 | 1,936 | 0.0933% |
| 2006 | #202 | 1,927 | 0.0938% |
| 2005 | #217 | 1,655 | 0.0829% |
| 2004 | #215 | 1,635 | 0.0824% |
| 2003 | #247 | 1,368 | 0.0693% |
| 2002 | #251 | 1,297 | 0.0668% |
| 2001 | #249 | 1,340 | 0.0690% |
| 2000 | #244 | 1,384 | 0.0705% |
| 1999 | #248 | 1,271 | 0.0662% |
| 1998 | #243 | 1,279 | 0.0669% |
| 1997 | #251 | 1,169 | 0.0620% |
| 1996 | #264 | 1,064 | 0.0562% |
| 1995 | #281 | 975 | 0.0512% |
| 1994 | #282 | 960 | 0.0497% |
| 1993 | #300 | 913 | 0.0466% |
| 1992 | #297 | 902 | 0.0452% |
| 1991 | #304 | 848 | 0.0420% |
| 1990 | #319 | 791 | 0.0385% |
| 1989 | #317 | 759 | 0.0379% |
| 1988 | #329 | 655 | 0.0342% |
| 1987 | #333 | 614 | 0.0329% |
| 1986 | #325 | 616 | 0.0335% |
| 1985 | #329 | 598 | 0.0324% |
| 1984 | #325 | 589 | 0.0326% |
| 1983 | #324 | 589 | 0.0329% |
| 1982 | #310 | 637 | 0.0351% |
| 1981 | #323 | 594 | 0.0332% |
| 1980 | #301 | 663 | 0.0372% |
| 1979 | #295 | 686 | 0.0398% |
| 1978 | #305 | 591 | 0.0360% |
| 1977 | #306 | 630 | 0.0383% |
| 1976 | #311 | 565 | 0.0360% |
| 1975 | #331 | 531 | 0.0340% |
| 1974 | #331 | 528 | 0.0336% |
| 1973 | #352 | 474 | 0.0304% |
| 1972 | #350 | 486 | 0.0300% |
| 1971 | #373 | 470 | 0.0266% |
| 1970 | #390 | 424 | 0.0228% |
| 1969 | #418 | 357 | 0.0200% |
| 1968 | #422 | 333 | 0.0192% |
| 1967 | #461 | 271 | 0.0155% |
| 1966 | #452 | 291 | 0.0163% |
| 1965 | #480 | 261 | 0.0140% |
| 1964 | #503 | 244 | 0.0122% |
| 1963 | #533 | 222 | 0.0109% |
| 1962 | #527 | 229 | 0.0111% |
| 1961 | #521 | 233 | 0.0110% |
| 1960 | #520 | 232 | 0.0109% |
| 1959 | #530 | 220 | 0.0103% |
| 1958 | #512 | 228 | 0.0107% |
| 1957 | #581 | 176 | 0.0082% |
| 1956 | #534 | 197 | 0.0093% |
| 1955 | #536 | 189 | 0.0092% |
| 1954 | #578 | 163 | 0.0080% |
| 1953 | #518 | 186 | 0.0094% |
| 1952 | #525 | 178 | 0.0092% |
| 1951 | #521 | 173 | 0.0092% |
| 1950 | #569 | 142 | 0.0079% |
| 1949 | #557 | 146 | 0.0082% |
| 1948 | #613 | 123 | 0.0070% |
| 1947 | #654 | 112 | 0.0061% |
| 1946 | #621 | 107 | 0.0066% |
| 1945 | #666 | 82 | 0.0061% |
| 1944 | #690 | 82 | 0.0060% |
| 1943 | #676 | 90 | 0.0063% |
| 1942 | #801 | 65 | 0.0047% |
| 1941 | #667 | 84 | 0.0068% |
| 1940 | #706 | 74 | 0.0064% |
| 1939 | #691 | 74 | 0.0067% |
| 1938 | #654 | 84 | 0.0076% |
| 1937 | #725 | 70 | 0.0066% |
| 1936 | #657 | 80 | 0.0077% |
| 1935 | #665 | 80 | 0.0077% |
| 1934 | #720 | 73 | 0.0071% |
| 1933 | #700 | 74 | 0.0075% |
| 1932 | #783 | 66 | 0.0063% |
| 1931 | #713 | 73 | 0.0070% |
| 1930 | #613 | 101 | 0.0092% |
| 1929 | #697 | 79 | 0.0073% |
| 1928 | #765 | 72 | 0.0065% |
| 1927 | #633 | 100 | 0.0089% |
| 1926 | #652 | 94 | 0.0085% |
| 1925 | #619 | 103 | 0.0092% |
| 1924 | #623 | 105 | 0.0093% |
| 1923 | #578 | 118 | 0.0108% |
| 1922 | #484 | 162 | 0.0149% |
| 1921 | #523 | 142 | 0.0129% |
| 1920 | #525 | 135 | 0.0127% |
| 1919 | #524 | 129 | 0.0132% |
| 1918 | #465 | 162 | 0.0160% |
| 1917 | #480 | 143 | 0.0155% |
| 1916 | #522 | 120 | 0.0135% |
| 1915 | #470 | 137 | 0.0161% |
| 1914 | #488 | 100 | 0.0153% |
| 1913 | #398 | 116 | 0.0226% |
| 1912 | #457 | 75 | 0.0174% |
| 1911 | #464 | 40 | 0.0177% |
| 1910 | #527 | 29 | 0.0149% |
| 1909 | #497 | 27 | 0.0165% |
| 1908 | #517 | 24 | 0.0156% |
| 1907 | #572 | 19 | 0.0129% |
| 1906 | #532 | 19 | 0.0143% |
| 1905 | #536 | 19 | 0.0144% |
| 1904 | #373 | 30 | 0.0234% |
| 1903 | #602 | 14 | 0.0117% |
| 1902 | #420 | 24 | 0.0196% |
| 1901 | #544 | 14 | 0.0131% |
| 1900 | #543 | 20 | 0.0133% |
| 1899 | #598 | 12 | 0.0113% |
| 1898 | #514 | 17 | 0.0139% |
| 1897 | #665 | 11 | 0.0098% |
| 1896 | #375 | 27 | 0.0226% |
| 1895 | #541 | 15 | 0.0128% |
| 1894 | #609 | 12 | 0.0104% |
| 1893 | #520 | 14 | 0.0125% |
| 1892 | #431 | 20 | 0.0164% |
| 1891 | #422 | 18 | 0.0178% |
| 1890 | #428 | 18 | 0.0162% |
| 1889 | #409 | 20 | 0.0181% |
| 1888 | #391 | 23 | 0.0190% |
| 1887 | #441 | 15 | 0.0148% |
| 1886 | #441 | 17 | 0.0153% |
| 1885 | #382 | 22 | 0.0204% |
| 1884 | #355 | 25 | 0.0218% |
| 1883 | #422 | 18 | 0.0172% |
| 1882 | #381 | 22 | 0.0194% |
| 1881 | #344 | 23 | 0.0228% |
| 1880 | #434 | 17 | 0.0154% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Israel Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Israel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Israel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.