Israel (name)

Pronunciation	/ˈɪzreɪəl/ or /ˈɪzriːəl/ Hebrew: [jisʁaˈʔel]
Gender	Male
Word/name	Hebrew
Meaning	'God Contended', 'Wrestles with God', 'Triumphant with God'
Related names	, Isaac, Rae

Israel is a Biblical given name. The patriarch Jacob was given the name Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Yisraʾel Tiberian Yiśrāʾēl) after he "wrestled with the angel" (Genesis 32:28 and 35:10). The given name is already attested in Eblaite (????????????, išrail) and Ugaritic (????????????????????, yšrʾil). Commentators differ on the original literal interpretation. The text of Genesis etymologizes the name with the root śarah "to rule, contend, have power, prevail over" : שָׂרִיתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִים (KJV: "a prince hast thou power with God"), but modern suggestions read the el as the subject, for a translation of "El/God rules/judges/struggles", "El fights/struggles".

Jacob's descendants came to be known as the Israelites, eventually forming the tribes of Israel and ultimately the kingdom of Israel, whence came the name of modern-day State of Israel.

In Israel, the name "Israel Israeli" is sometimes used to mean someone whose name is unknown or unspecified.

Israel was a common name among Chaldeans till recent times. A famous Chaldean author is Bishop Israel Audo, famous for authoring a book about the Chaldean Genocide.

In Nazi Germany, male Jews who did not have "typically Jewish" given names were forced to add "Israel" as of January 1939. This decree was revoked by the Allies in 1945.

...
Wikipedia