Israel
Hebrew Yisrael, understood as he struggles with God, the name given to Jacob after wrestling at the Jabbok. It became the name of the nation descended from him.
Israel in 2025
Israel was given to 1,123 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 598th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 2,952 babies born.
The history of Israel
Israel reached its highest point in 2007, when 1,995 babies were given the name, ranking 376th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 72,874 babies have been named Israel. Half of them were born before 2003, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Israel by decade
| Decade | Babies named Israel | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 202 | 678 |
| 1890s | 164 | 966 |
| 1900s | 210 | 999 |
| 1910s | 1,051 | 861 |
| 1920s | 1,110 | 1,032 |
| 1930s | 775 | 1,265 |
| 1940s | 965 | 1,230 |
| 1950s | 1,858 | 1,137 |
| 1960s | 2,680 | 923 |
| 1970s | 5,448 | 628 |
| 1980s | 6,384 | 650 |
| 1990s | 10,456 | 471 |
| 2000s | 16,535 | 376 |
| 2010s | 16,294 | 404 |
| 2020s | 8,742 | 428 |
Where Israel is heading
Israel has fallen 32% over the past decade, from 1,642 babies in 2015 to 1,123 in 2025.
Names like Israel
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Israel.