Israel
Israel was the 315th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,081 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 202nd; the most babies were born in 2007 (1,937). Over the last ten years it has moved down 75 places. More babies were named Israel in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning God strives; he who wrestles with God · Hebrew
Say it IZ-ree-uhl /ˈɪzriəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #315 boys, down 78 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,081boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20071,937 babies
- Total since 1880
- 72,874babies recorded
What does the name Israel mean?
Israel is the name given to the patriarch Jacob after he wrestles through the night in Genesis 32:29, and it became the name of his descendants and their land. DMNES glosses it 'he who wrestles with God', following the story, and Wikipedia explains it from a verb meaning 'to struggle with' and El, 'God'. Wiktionary notes the biblical explanation and that the name may first appear on an Egyptian stele of about 1200 BC. As a given name it is used by Jewish and Christian families and in Spanish as Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “Yisra'el”)שׂרה (Hebrew, “to struggle, strive”)אֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “God”)
How sure is this? Probable. The 'struggle with God' reading is the biblical explanation; the original grammar ('God strives' or 'God rules') is debated.
Related names: Yisrael, Isra, Izzy.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Israel', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 32:29, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Israel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Israel (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Israel
The usual nicknames for Israel are Izzy. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Israel in the last five years, 2 were named Izzy, against fewer than 1 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Izzy · also for Isabella, Isabelle | Modern | #4,182 | 117 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Israels go by each one.
Israel popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,637 since 1951, 42 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #315 | 1,081 |
| 2020 | #237 | 1,532 |
| 2010 | #220 | 1,626 |
| 2000 | #244 | 1,384 |
| 1990 | #319 | 791 |
| 1980 | #301 | 663 |
| 1970 | #390 | 424 |
| 1960 | #520 | 232 |
| 1950 | #567 | 143 |
| 1940 | #706 | 74 |
| 1930 | #613 | 101 |
| 1920 | #525 | 135 |
| 1910 | #527 | 29 |
| 1900 | #543 | 20 |
| 1890 | #428 | 18 |
| 1880 | #434 | 17 |
How popular is Israel, counting every spelling?
Israel is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #307 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #315 for Israel on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,142 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | 1,081 | #315 | 6,901 |
| Izrael | 56 | #2,431 | 329 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Israel?
1,081 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Israel (0.30 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Israel born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 8 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Israel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Israel?
About 64,500 people born in the US named Israel are alive today, with a median age of 21; half are between 11 and 35. That makes Israel mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Israel by state
How common Israel was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (2.7×), New Mexico (2.6×), Arizona (1.8×), Texas (1.8×), California (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Hampshire, South Dakota, Nebraska.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Israel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Israel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Israel · Sibling names for Israel
Questions about the name Israel
What does Israel mean?
Israel means “God strives; he who wrestles with God” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Israel?
Israel was the 315th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,081 babies. Its best year was 2006, when it ranked 202nd; the most babies were born in 2007 (1,937). Over the last ten years it has moved down 75 places. More babies were named Israel in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Israel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Israel in the US.
Where is Israel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Israel was most common in Hawaii (2.13 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and Arizona.