Israel Name Meaning

The name Israel is often associated with strength, courage, and determination, as it is thought to symbolize God’s power and protection. In the Bible, Israel is depicted as a strong and resourceful leader, who is chosen by God to lead his people.

Origins of the Name Israel

The name Israel comes from Hebrew and it means “God fights” or “God governs.” It was originally given to the Jewish patriarch Jacob, who was later given the name Israel by God, as recorded in the Bible. The name is also associated with the Israelite nation and has been used as the name of the country of Israel since 1948.

Popularity of the Name Israel

In terms of popularity, the name Israel has not been a particularly popular name in the United States. According to the Social Security Administration, the name was not among the top 1,000 names for boys in the US for most of the 20th century. However, in recent years, the name has seen a resurgence in popularity, particularly among Jewish parents.

Famous Israels

Throughout history, there have been many famous people named Israel, including:

  • Israel Kamakawiwo’ole: a Hawaiian musician and singer, known for his rendition of “Over the Rainbow”
  • Israel Baline: better known as Irving Berlin, a Russian-born American composer and lyricist
  • Israel Putnam: an American Army general during the American Revolution

Final Thoughts on the Name Israel

The name Israel is a powerful and meaningful name with deep roots in both religion and culture. It may not be as popular as some other names, but it has a rich history and association with strength and determination. If you’re considering this name for your baby boy, you can be sure that he will have a strong and meaningful name to carry with him throughout his life.

Infographic of Israel name meaning, which is From Hebrew origins, Israel is a place name meaning God contends.
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Israel Name Popularity

How popular is the name Israel? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 498 9 0.0026%
1911 399 21 0.0056%
1912 429 43 0.0085%
1913 399 74 0.0131%
1914 458 71 0.0102%
1915 481 92 0.0101%
1916 518 84 0.0087%
1917 490 99 0.0099%
1918 470 118 0.011%
1919 523 95 0.0091%
1920 539 93 0.0084%
1921 519 107 0.0093%
1922 491 119 0.0107%
1923 563 87 0.0078%
1924 614 73 0.0063%
1925 588 77 0.0068%
1926 612 68 0.0062%
1927 651 59 0.0053%
1928 668 53 0.005%
1929 645 54 0.0052%
1930 607 65 0.0062%
1931 632 53 0.0054%
1932 685 44 0.0045%
1933 624 50 0.0054%
1934 659 47 0.0049%
1935 601 59 0.0061%
1936 589 62 0.0064%
1937 636 49 0.005%
1938 606 60 0.0059%
1939 641 49 0.0048%
1940 632 55 0.0052%
1941 598 63 0.0056%
1942 744 38 0.003%
1943 609 70 0.0054%
1944 647 52 0.0042%
1945 658 49 0.004%
1946 589 79 0.0054%
1947 596 90 0.0054%
1948 568 97 0.0061%
1949 531 118 0.0073%
1950 561 105 0.0065%
1951 504 139 0.0082%
1952 516 137 0.0078%
1953 505 152 0.0086%
1954 554 129 0.0071%
1955 525 149 0.0081%
1956 533 156 0.0083%
1957 552 151 0.0078%
1958 505 193 0.0102%
1959 526 183 0.0096%
1960 502 207 0.0109%
1961 506 201 0.0106%
1962 505 206 0.0112%
1963 519 196 0.0109%
1964 491 216 0.0123%
1965 480 216 0.0132%
1966 447 251 0.0161%
1967 452 234 0.0154%
1968 420 290 0.0193%
1969 418 317 0.0206%
1970 392 381 0.0239%
1971 373 429 0.0285%
1972 348 455 0.0334%
1973 359 429 0.0331%
1974 338 470 0.0362%
1975 337 475 0.037%
1976 319 522 0.0405%
1977 311 569 0.0422%
1978 307 546 0.0406%
1979 297 632 0.0448%
1980 301 620 0.0424%
1981 332 523 0.0356%
1982 315 583 0.039%
1983 331 531 0.036%
1984 325 555 0.0373%
1985 332 558 0.0368%
1986 325 570 0.0378%
1987 330 588 0.0385%
1988 335 603 0.0387%
1989 320 711 0.0441%
1990 323 751 0.0453%
1991 310 796 0.0488%
1992 304 846 0.053%
1993 308 850 0.0545%
1994 288 917 0.0598%
1995 283 935 0.062%
1996 269 1,024 0.0684%
1997 251 1,138 0.0769%
1998 244 1,238 0.0827%
1999 249 1,242 0.0829%
2000 244 1,360 0.089%
2001 251 1,312 0.0871%
2002 253 1,270 0.0847%
2003 245 1,350 0.0887%
2004 215 1,612 0.1058%
2005 217 1,631 0.1067%
2006 202 1,913 0.1222%
2007 204 1,923 0.1219%
2008 210 1,816 0.1175%
2009 211 1,754 0.1174%
2010 220 1,612 0.1119%
2011 218 1,595 0.112%
2012 252 1,423 0.0999%
2013 244 1,448 0.1017%
2014 238 1,523 0.1045%
2015 238 1,552 0.1067%
2016 230 1,655 0.1148%
2017 234 1,546 0.1108%
2018 239 1,555 0.1132%
2019 235 1,570 0.116%
2020 237 1,463 0.1149%
2021 234 1,510 0.1235%
2022 232 1,470 0.1114%

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Delaware (DE)

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Hawaii (HI)

Iowa (IA)

Idaho (ID)

Illinois (IL)

Indiana (IN)

Kansas (KS)

Kentucky (KY)

Louisiana (LA)

Massachusetts (MA)

Maryland (MD)

Michigan (MI)

Minnesota (MN)

Missouri (MO)

Mississippi (MS)

Montana (MT)

North Carolina (NC)

North Dakota (ND)

Nebraska (NE)

New Jersey (NJ)

New Mexico (NM)

Nevada (NV)

New York (NY)

Ohio (OH)

Oklahoma (OK)

Oregon (OR)

Pennsylvania (PA)

Rhode Island (RI)

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South Dakota (SD)

Tennessee (TN)

Texas (TX)

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Washington (WA)

Wisconsin (WI)

West Virginia (WV)

Wyoming (WY)

Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Israel

If you like Israel, you’ll love these other names like Israel.

What names are diminutives of Israel?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Israel sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Israel, but shorter.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Izzy

Gift of Isis

Greek

What names are variants of Israel?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Israel.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Yisrael

Hebrew

What names sound like Israel?

If you like how Israel sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Israel.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Azrael

Helped by God

Hebrew

Azreel

God is my help

Hebrew

Azriel

God is my help

Hebrew

Azryel

God is my help

Hebrew

Lists With Israel

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Israel.

Siblings of Israel

Mamas with kids named Israel also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Ezekiel

God will strengthen

Hebrew

Elsie

God is my oath

English

Selah

Rock

Hebrew

Zane

God is gracious

American

9 Comments

  1. It was my grandpa’s name

    Reply

  2. My name is Israel, my parents gave me the name because I was born 12 years after my younger sister and in the Bible Israel had 12 tribes. Also Jacob became Israel after defeating an angel of God. I find this to be very inspiring.

    Reply

  3. Meanings are important to me when it comes to my kids names. During this season of my pregnancy, I left my husband due to difficult circumstances but I believed God to preserve through it. And that’s what the name Israel means: God preservers. Such a blessings and already living up to his name.

    Reply

  4. The day I met Israel’s dad in real life after swiping right on Tinder we talked about we both wanted a baby boy. He said he wanted the name Israel and that was a name on my baby name list. One year to the day later, Israel is born.

    Reply

  5. Israel, is the name given to my grandson, born yesterday. It is a lovely name. We are Scottish and like the name so much!

    Reply

  6. Lovely meaning in the bible

    Reply

  7. My daughter name is Julianna she likes to play with her brothers she is a big sister to her brothers
    My son name is Joshua he love Spider-Man n toy story n he a big brother to his little brother
    My son name is Israel he a baby he is 10 months old he try to walk already n love to brother and sister he play with them all the time

    Reply

  8. My daughters name is Noah-Renee and I wanted something kinda matchy for my sons name and it was the only name that I liked that my husband agreed on.

    Reply

  9. We like Bible names and unique names so this one worked for us

    Reply

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