The story behind Israel
From Middle English Israel, from Old English, borrowed from Latin Israel, from Ancient Greek Ἰσραήλ (Israḗl), from Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra'él, “Israel”). In the Bible, it is said to be from the name יִשְׂרֶה אֵל (yisré 'él) given to Jacob in he:T:29, after which his descendants came to be known as Israelites and their land as the "kingdom/land of Israel". The personal name, already attested in Eblaite 𒅖𒊏𒅋 (iš-ra-il) and Ugaritic 𐎊𐎌𐎗𐎛𐎍 (yšrỉl), has been variously translated as "he wrestles with God", "he prevails with God", or "God rules" (possibly from the same root ש־ר־ה/ש־ר־ר as שָׂרָה (“Sarah”)). Line 27 of the Merneptah Stele (from about 1200 B.C.E.) is thought to contain the earliest attestation of the name Israel in any language, Egyptian ysrjꜣr. : i-i-z:Z1s*Z1s:r-i-A-r:Z1*T14-A1*B1:Z2 Doublet of Yisroel.
Other language forms and explanations (4)
Finnish entry
From Biblical Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra'él).
Portuguese entry
Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese Israel, a learned borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin Israel, borrowed from Koine Greek Ἰσρᾱήλ (Isrāḗl), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל.
Spanish entry
a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Israel
Tagalog entry
Borrowed from Spanish Israel (“Israel”), from Latin Israel, from Ancient Greek Ἰσραήλ (Israḗl), from Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra'él, “Israel”).
Pronunciation
US: /ˈɪz.ɹeɪl/
Regional pronunciation variants
- English; dialect unspecified: /ˈɪz.ɹeɪ.əl/
- English; dialect unspecified: /ˈɪz.ɹi.əl/
- formal and posh RP: /ˈɪz.ɹeɪ.ɛl/
- in singing also: /ˈɪz.ɹaɪ.ɛl/
- certain Carolina accents: /ˈɪz.ɹɛəl/
- Finnish: /ˈisrɑel/
- Finnish: [ˈis̠rɑ̝e̞l]
- Portuguese; Brazil: /iz.ʁaˈɛw/
- Portuguese; Brazil: [iz.haˈɛʊ̯]
- Portuguese; Rio-de-Janeiro: /iʒ.ʁaˈɛw/
- Portuguese; Rio-de-Janeiro: [iʒ.χaˈɛʊ̯]
- Portuguese; Portugal: /iʒ.ʁɐˈɛl/
- Portuguese; Portugal: [iʒ.ʁɐˈɛɫ]
- Portuguese; Portugal; Southern: /iʒ.ʁɐˈɛ.li/
- Spanish: /israˈel/
- Spanish: [iz.raˈel]
- Spanish; Latin-America: [iz.ʐaˈel]
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: /ʔisɾaˈʔel/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: [ʔɪs.ɾɐˈʔɛl]
Popularity
Israel ranked #3605 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Israel
Ishmael
From Hebrew יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yishma'él (yišmāʿēl), “God hears, God will hear”). Doublet of Ismail.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Ismael
From Biblical Hebrew יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yishma'él/yišmāʿēl, literally “God will hear”). Learned borrowing from Latin Ismael, from Ancient Greek Ἰσμαήλ (Ismaḗl), from Hebrew…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Izrael
Inherited from Old Czech Iz(d)ra(h)el, Isra(h)el, Jezrahel.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
ʔismāʕīl
From Hebrew יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yishma'él, yišmāʿēl), from יִשְׁמַע אֵל (yishmá' 'él, yišmaʿ ʾēl, “God heard”). Corresponding to يَسْمَعُ (yasmaʕu, “he hears”) + إلّ (ʔill, “God”).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Abel
English Abel From Middle English Abel, from Old English Ābel, from Latin Abel, from Ancient Greek Ἅβελ (Hábel), from Biblical Hebrew הֶבֶל (Héḇel, “Abel”), possibly from the…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Ábel
From Hebrew הבל (Hebel).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Israel
Aabraham
From Biblical Hebrew אברהם ('aḇrāhām), of Biblical origin.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends M
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Abdia
Borrowed from Biblical Hebrew עוֹבַדְיָה (ovadya).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Abednego
From Hebrew עֲבֵד נְגוֹא, itself derived from a reconstructed Aramaic name meaning likely "servant of Nabu" or "servant of Nergal".
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 4 syllables
- Ending
- ends O
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Israel
Aabraham
From Biblical Hebrew אברהם ('aḇrāhām), of Biblical origin.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends M
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Aamos
Ultimately from Biblical Hebrew עמוס (Amos).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends S
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Aapeli
Vernacular form of the biblical Abel or Aabel, from Biblical Hebrew הֶבֶל (Héḇel).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends I
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length