Yisrael
YIS-RAH-EL
From Hebrew meaning he who wrestles with God, or one who struggles with God and prevails. The name given by God to Jacob after his night-long struggle with an angel at the Jabbok river. It became the name of the Jewish nation itself, making Yisrael both a personal name and the collective identity of the Jewish people.
At a glance
One of the most weighty names in all of Jewish tradition, Yisrael is the name given to the patriarch Jacob by God and became the collective name of the entire Jewish nation.
Etymology & History
Yisrael is generally derived from the Hebrew root sarah or sarar, meaning to struggle, to contend, or to persist, combined with El, meaning God. The full meaning is therefore he who struggles with God or one who persists with God. Some scholars also connect it to the root sar, meaning prince or ruler, giving an alternative meaning of prince of God. The name first appears in Genesis 32 when the angel blesses Jacob and renames him. It became the name of the nation, the kingdom, and the modern state.
Cultural Significance
Yisrael is arguably the most significant name in Jewish history. It is simultaneously the name of the patriarch, the nation, and the modern state. Every Jewish person is in some sense a child of Yisrael. In the Torah, the name represents a new identity, hard-won through struggle and blessed by God. In prayer, Jewish men are called by their Hebrew name followed by ben Yisrael. The Shema, the central declaration of Jewish faith, identifies God as the God of Israel. No name in Judaism carries a greater collective weight.
Famous people named Yisrael
Jacob/Israel (Torah)
The patriarch Jacob was renamed Yisrael by God after wrestling with an angel. His twelve sons became the twelve tribes of Israel, and his name became the name of the entire Jewish people.
Yisrael Baal Shem Tov
18th-century rabbi and mystic who founded the Hasidic movement. His teachings of joy, prayer, and divine immanence transformed Eastern European Jewish life.
Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chofetz Chaim)
19th-20th century rabbi and ethicist whose works on speech ethics and Jewish law remain among the most widely read in traditional Jewish communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Names like Yisrael
Avi
“My father”
Avi comes from the Hebrew av, meaning father, with the possessive suffix i making it my father. It is one of the warmest and most familiar names in the Hebrew lexicon. Avi is used both as a standalone given name and as a natural diminutive for longer Hebrew names beginning with the Av element: Avraham (Abraham), Aviel (my father is God), and Avinoam (my father is pleasantness). Short, strong, and easily pronounceable across languages, Avi is widely popular throughout Israel and among Jewish communities worldwide.
Israel
“One who struggles with God”
Israel carries deep spiritual and historical weight, long used in English-speaking communities as a given name with strong biblical resonance. It was especially popular among Puritan families in the 17th and 18th centuries who favoured Old Testament names. Today it remains in use, projecting strength, faith, and a connection to ancient heritage.
Shlomo
“His peace”
The Hebrew form of Solomon, meaning his peace or peaceful. King Shlomo was renowned as the wisest ruler in Jewish history, who built the First Temple in Jerusalem and authored the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. The name carries associations of wisdom, serenity, and divine favour.
Yaakov
“Supplanter, heel”
The Hebrew form of Jacob, meaning supplanter or he who grasps the heel. Yaakov was born grasping his twin brother Esau's heel. His story arc from cunning supplanter to the patriarch Israel, renamed by God after wrestling with an angel, is one of the Torah's most profound narratives of transformation and divine relationship.
Where you'll find Yisrael
Yisrael shows up in these curated collections across Namekin.