Boy · Hebrew · Christian
Israel
IsraelSay it IZ-ray-el
- Meaning today
- One who strives with God, God contends
- Original meaning
- "he will rule as God (Strong's); God strives (BDB)" Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, H3478
- Say it
- IZ-ray-el
- Other spellings
- Isreal
Israel
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Israel meaning
Israel is a Christian boy's name of Hebrew origin.
He will rule as God (Strong's); God strives (BDB)
Also used to mean: one who strives with God, God contends
Israel is the Hebrew Yisra'el, the new name given to Jacob after he wrestled through the night at the Jabbok (Genesis 32:28): "for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men". Strong's Concordance (H3478) builds it from sarah, "to strive, to have power", and El, "God", and explains it as "he will rule as God"; Brown-Driver-Briggs prefers "God strives". The name passed to Jacob's descendants, the twelve tribes and the nation. As a personal name it is used in Protestant families in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, as in the case of the educator Israel Jebasingh.
Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, H3478 · entry Yisra'el (יִשְׂרָאֵל) · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Strong's H3478, Yisra'el (Bible Hub) · Genesis 32:28 (Bible Hub) · Wikipedia, Israel Jebasingh
Famous namesakes
- Jacob, renamed Israel (Genesis 32:28)
- Israel Jebasingh, Indian educator and former IAS officer
Popularity abroad
- #315 United States, boys 2025 (down 37 from 278 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #822 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Israel · Isreal