Israel is the Hebrew name that Jacob receives after wrestling with the angel in Genesis, and it is usually explained as "he struggles with God" or "God contends". It became the name of the twelve tribes and of the modern state, and in the United States it is especially common in Spanish-speaking families. Israel stood at number 244 in 2000, peaked at 202 in 2006 and ranks 315th among boys' names in 2025.