Male name
Israel
1,391 births (England and Wales, 1996–2025), peaking in 2016. Expression number: 1.
Origin
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 Genesis 32:29, 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. Doublet of Yisroel.From Wiktionary, entry “Israel”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Do you know a Israel?
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How many babies received it
From the official birth registers.
In England and Wales
Peak in 2016: 75 births. 1,391 births from 1996 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. It is still given: 276 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the United States
Peak in 2007: 1,995 births. 72,874 births from 1880 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. It is still given: 7,150 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names, public domain.
In Ireland
Peak in 2001: 7 births. 51 births from 1964 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 2000s and 2010s. Fewer than ten births recorded from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies' Names, CC BY 4.0.
Elsewhere in the world
The name in the birth records of the 10 countries we track. The period covered varies from country to country.
| Country | Births | Period | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2,804 | 2012–2023 | — |
| France | 1,180 | 1900–2025 | — |
| Quebec | 502 | 1980–2025 | — |
Source: RENAPER, Nombres propios en Argentina, CC BY 4.0 (the registry doesn't record sex); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms, Etalab Open Licence 2.0; Retraite Québec, Banque de prénoms, CC BY 4.0.
The numbers of the name
Each letter has a value: A = 1, B = 2… I = 9, then J = 1 again (Pythagorean method). We add them up, then reduce to a single digit, except 11, 22 and 33.
■ vowel · ■ consonant
Expression
All the letters: talents, the way you act.
1
initiative, independence, beginnings
9 + 1 + 9 + 1 + 5 + 3 = 28 → 1
Soul
The vowels: what drives you deep down.
6
responsibility, harmony, commitment to others
9 + 1 + 5 = 15 → 6
Personality
The consonants: what others notice first.
4
work, structure, stability
1 + 9 + 3 = 13 → 4
- Digits missing from the name
- 2, 4, 6, 7, 8
- Most frequent digit
- 1 · initiative, independence, beginnings
The meaning of the numbers comes from numerological tradition; it isn't a measure of your personality. A full portrait needs your first and middle names, your last name at birth, and your date of birth. How we calculate
Your name and theirs
The number of each name, and the number of the bond, which comes from adding them together. A symbolic game: what your two names say together, to be read as a metaphor, not as a verdict on your relationship.