Israel (name)

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Israel is a Biblical given name. The patriarch Jacob was given the name Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Yisraʾel Tiberian Yiśrāʾēl; "Triumphant with God", "who prevails with God"^[3]) after he wrestled with a "man" (Genesis 32:28 and 35:10). The name already occurs in Eblaite and Ugaritic texts as a common name.^[4] Commentators differ on the original literal meaning. Some say the name comes from the verb śarar ("to rule, be strong, have authority over"), thereby making the name mean "God rules" or "God judges".^[5] Other possible meanings include "the prince of God" (from the King James Version) or "El fights/struggles".^[6] "The Jewish Study Bible" of Oxford University Press says on page 68 "The scientific etymology of Israel is uncertain, a good guess being '[The God] El rules.'"^[7] Jacob's descendants came to be known as the Israelites, eventually forming the tribes of Israel and ultimately the kingdom of Israel, whence came the name of modern-day Israel.

In Israel, the name "Israel Israeli" is sometimes used to mean someone whose name is unknown or unspecified.

Israel was a common name among Chaldeans till recent times. A famous Chaldean author is Bishop Israel Audo, famous for authoring a book about the Chaldean Genocide.

In Nazi Germany, male Jews who did not have "typically Jewish" given names were forced to add "Israel" as of January 1939. This decree was revoked by the allies in 1945.

Given name

• Israel (Bishop of Caucasian Albania), 7th century CE
• Israel Alter (also: Yisraʾel Alter, 1901-1979), Jewish composer and last chief cantor in Hanover, Germany
• Israel Asper (1932–2003), Canadian media magnate
• Israel of Axum, Emperor of Ethiopia in the 6th century CE
• Israel Baline (1888–1989), the birth name of American composer Irving Berlin
• Israel Cruz (born 1983), Australian singer
• Israel Dagg (born 1988), New Zealand rugby player
• Israel ben Eliezer (1698–1760), Jewish mystical rabbi
• Israel Folau (born 1989), Australian rugby player
• Israel Gelfand (1913–2009), Russian mathematician
• Israel Gigato (born 1987), Spanish football player
• Israel the Grammarian, 10th century European scholar
• Israel Hands, 18th Century pirate
• Israel Houghton (born 1971), American singer and Christian worship leader
• Israel Idonije (born 1980), Nigeria-born Canadian player of American football
• Israel Kamakawiwoʻole (1959–1997), Hawaiian singer and spiritual leader
• Israel Kirzner (born 1930), American economist
• Israel of Krems, 14th-15th century Austrian rabbi
• Israel "Izzy" Lang, American football running back
• Israel Machado (born 1960), Brazilian basketball player
• Israel Ochoa (born 1964), Colombian cyclist
• Israel Putnam (1718–1790), American general
• Israel Raybon (born 1973), American football player
• Israel Regardie (1907–1985), British occultist
• Israel B. Richardson (1815–1862), Union major general in the American Civil War
• Israel Ruiz, Jr. (born 1943), New York politician
• Israel Shahak (1933–2001), Israeli author
• Israel Shamir (born 1947), Swedish anti-Zionist writer
• Israel Vázquez (born 1977), Mexican boxer
• Yisrael Meir Lau (born 1937), Orthodox Ashkenazi

Surname

• Al Israel, American actor
• Dan Israel, American musician
• Edward Israel (1859–1884), American astronomer and polar explorer
• Elizabeth Israel (1875–2003), Dominican supercentenarian
• Jonathan Israel (born 1946), British historian
• Märt Israel (born 1983), Estonian discus thrower
• Menasseh ben Israel (1604–1657), Portuguese rabbi and scholar
• Rinus Israël (born 1942), Dutch football player and manager
• Robert Decatur Israel, San Diego pioneer, keeper of the Old Point Loma lighthouse
• Steve Israel (born 1958), American politician
• Steve Israel (American football) (born 1969), American football player
• Yuri Izrael (born 1930), Russian scientist and vice-chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

References