Izrael is a modern spelling of Israel, the Hebrew name Yisra'el, which the Bible explains as "he struggles with God" or "God contends". It was the new name given to the patriarch Jacob after he wrestled with an angel, and it became the name of his people and of the modern state. In the United States Izrael has stayed in a narrow band around number 2000 to 2600 since 2015, peaked at number 1790 in 2023 and ranks number 2431 in 2025 with 56 boys.