Israel
Israel was given to 1,081 boys in 2025, #315 among boys’ names; 72,874 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 66,100 Americans named Israel and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (91% of everyone recorded); the median is 21 years old and half are between 11 and 34.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Israel by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Israel mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Israel is “a male given name from Hebrew.” Its etymology gives the sense “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל).
From Middle English Israel, from Old English, borrowed from Latin Israel, from Ancient Greek Ἰσραήλ (Israḗl), from Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra'él, “Israel”). In the Bible, it is said to be from the name יִשְׂרֶה אֵל (yisré 'él) given to Jacob in Genesis 32:29, after which his descendants came to be known as Israelites and their land as the “kingdom/land of Israel”. The personal name, already attested in Eblaite 𒅖𒊏𒅋 (iš-ra-il) and Ugaritic 𐎊𐎌𐎗𐎛𐎍 (yšrỉl), has been variously translated as “he wrestles with God”, “he prevails with God”, or “God rules” (possibly from the same root ש־ר־ה/ש־ר־ר as שָׂרָה (“Sarah”)). Line 27 of the Merneptah Stele (from about 1200 B.C.E.) is thought to contain the earliest attestation of the name Israel in any language, Egyptian ysrjꜣr. : i-i-z:Z1s*Z1s:r-i-A-r:Z1*T14-A1*B1:Z2 Doublet of Yisroel.
/ˈɪz.ɹeɪl/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Israel?
#315 among boys’ names, 2025
Israel fell from #240 in 2015 to #315 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 0.83 to 0.63 per 1,000.
1,995 babies in 2007, the peak
Israel peaked in 2007, when 1,995 babies were given it (1,937 boys, #204 among boys’ names). The 1,123 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 56% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,081 | #315 | 0.63 |
| 2024 | 1,226 | #278 | 0.71 |
| 2023 | 1,537 | #229 | 0.90 |
| 2022 | 1,509 | #233 | 0.86 |
| 2021 | 1,548 | #234 | 0.88 |
| 2020 | 1,532 | #237 | 0.89 |
| 2019 | 1,622 | #234 | 0.90 |
| 2018 | 1,596 | #239 | 0.88 |
| 2017 | 1,594 | #235 | 0.86 |
| 2016 | 1,679 | #232 | 0.88 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1,582 | #240 | 0.83 |
| 2014 | 1,541 | #242 | 0.80 |
| 2013 | 1,473 | #245 | 0.78 |
| 2012 | 1,450 | #253 | 0.76 |
| 2011 | 1,612 | #218 | 0.85 |
| 2010 | 1,626 | #220 | 0.85 |
| 2009 | 1,776 | #211 | 0.90 |
| 2008 | 1,832 | #210 | 0.90 |
| 2007 | 1,937 | #204 | 0.93 |
| 2006 | 1,927 | #202 | 0.94 |
| 2005 | 1,655 | #217 | 0.83 |
| 2004 | 1,635 | #215 | 0.82 |
| 2003 | 1,368 | #247 | 0.69 |
| 2002 | 1,297 | #251 | 0.67 |
| 2001 | 1,340 | #249 | 0.69 |
| 2000 | 1,384 | #244 | 0.70 |
| 1999 | 1,272 | #248 | 0.66 |
| 1998 | 1,279 | #243 | 0.67 |
| 1997 | 1,169 | #251 | 0.62 |
| 1996 | 1,064 | #264 | 0.56 |
| 1995 | 975 | #281 | 0.51 |
| 1994 | 960 | #282 | 0.50 |
| 1993 | 913 | #300 | 0.47 |
| 1992 | 902 | #297 | 0.45 |
| 1991 | 848 | #304 | 0.42 |
| 1990 | 791 | #319 | 0.39 |
| 1989 | 759 | #318 | 0.38 |
| 1988 | 655 | #329 | 0.34 |
| 1987 | 614 | #333 | 0.33 |
| 1986 | 616 | #325 | 0.33 |
| 1985 | 598 | #329 | 0.32 |
| 1984 | 590 | #325 | 0.33 |
| 1983 | 589 | #324 | 0.33 |
| 1982 | 637 | #310 | 0.35 |
| 1981 | 594 | #324 | 0.33 |
| 1980 | 663 | #301 | 0.37 |
| 1979 | 686 | #295 | 0.40 |
| 1978 | 591 | #305 | 0.36 |
| 1977 | 630 | #306 | 0.38 |
| 1976 | 565 | #311 | 0.36 |
| 1975 | 531 | #331 | 0.34 |
| 1974 | 529 | #330 | 0.34 |
| 1973 | 474 | #352 | 0.30 |
| 1972 | 486 | #350 | 0.30 |
| 1971 | 470 | #373 | 0.27 |
| 1970 | 424 | #390 | 0.23 |
| 1969 | 357 | #418 | 0.20 |
| 1968 | 333 | #422 | 0.19 |
| 1967 | 271 | #461 | 0.16 |
| 1966 | 291 | #452 | 0.16 |
| 1965 | 260 | #482 | 0.14 |
| 1964 | 246 | #502 | 0.12 |
| 1963 | 222 | #533 | 0.11 |
| 1962 | 229 | #527 | 0.11 |
| 1961 | 233 | #521 | 0.11 |
| 1960 | 232 | #520 | 0.11 |
| 1959 | 220 | #530 | 0.10 |
| 1958 | 228 | #511 | 0.11 |
| 1957 | 176 | #580 | 0.08 |
| 1956 | 197 | #533 | 0.09 |
| 1955 | 189 | #535 | 0.09 |
| 1954 | 163 | #577 | 0.08 |
| 1953 | 186 | #517 | 0.09 |
| 1952 | 178 | #524 | 0.09 |
| 1951 | 173 | #519 | 0.09 |
| 1950 | 143 | #566 | 0.08 |
| 1949 | 146 | #556 | 0.08 |
| 1948 | 123 | #612 | 0.07 |
| 1947 | 112 | #654 | 0.06 |
| 1946 | 107 | #621 | 0.07 |
| 1945 | 82 | #666 | 0.06 |
| 1944 | 82 | #690 | 0.06 |
| 1943 | 90 | #676 | 0.06 |
| 1942 | 65 | #801 | 0.05 |
| 1941 | 84 | #667 | 0.07 |
| 1940 | 74 | #706 | 0.06 |
| 1939 | 74 | #691 | 0.07 |
| 1938 | 84 | #654 | 0.08 |
| 1937 | 70 | #725 | 0.07 |
| 1936 | 80 | #657 | 0.08 |
| 1935 | 80 | #665 | 0.08 |
| 1934 | 73 | #720 | 0.07 |
| 1933 | 74 | #700 | 0.07 |
| 1932 | 66 | #783 | 0.06 |
| 1931 | 73 | #713 | 0.07 |
| 1930 | 101 | #613 | 0.09 |
| 1929 | 79 | #697 | 0.07 |
| 1928 | 72 | #765 | 0.07 |
| 1927 | 100 | #633 | 0.09 |
| 1926 | 94 | #652 | 0.08 |
| 1925 | 103 | #619 | 0.09 |
| 1924 | 105 | #623 | 0.09 |
| 1923 | 118 | #578 | 0.11 |
| 1922 | 162 | #484 | 0.15 |
| 1921 | 142 | #523 | 0.13 |
| 1920 | 135 | #525 | 0.13 |
| 1919 | 129 | #524 | 0.13 |
| 1918 | 162 | #465 | 0.16 |
| 1917 | 143 | #480 | 0.15 |
| 1916 | 120 | #522 | 0.13 |
| 1915 | 137 | #470 | 0.16 |
| 1914 | 100 | #488 | 0.15 |
| 1913 | 116 | #398 | 0.23 |
| 1912 | 75 | #457 | 0.17 |
| 1911 | 40 | #464 | 0.18 |
| 1910 | 29 | #527 | 0.15 |
| 1909 | 27 | #497 | 0.16 |
| 1908 | 24 | #517 | 0.16 |
| 1907 | 19 | #572 | 0.13 |
| 1906 | 19 | #532 | 0.14 |
| 1905 | 19 | #536 | 0.14 |
| 1904 | 30 | #373 | 0.23 |
| 1903 | 14 | #602 | 0.12 |
| 1902 | 24 | #420 | 0.20 |
| 1901 | 14 | #544 | 0.13 |
| 1900 | 20 | #543 | 0.13 |
| 1899 | 12 | #598 | 0.11 |
| 1898 | 17 | #514 | 0.14 |
| 1897 | 11 | #665 | 0.10 |
| 1896 | 27 | #375 | 0.23 |
| 1895 | 15 | #541 | 0.13 |
| 1894 | 12 | #609 | 0.10 |
| 1893 | 14 | #520 | 0.12 |
| 1892 | 20 | #431 | 0.16 |
| 1891 | 18 | #422 | 0.18 |
| 1890 | 18 | #428 | 0.16 |
| 1889 | 20 | #409 | 0.18 |
| 1888 | 23 | #391 | 0.19 |
| 1887 | 15 | #441 | 0.15 |
| 1886 | 17 | #441 | 0.15 |
| 1885 | 22 | #382 | 0.20 |
| 1884 | 25 | #355 | 0.22 |
| 1883 | 18 | #422 | 0.17 |
| 1882 | 22 | #381 | 0.19 |
| 1881 | 23 | #344 | 0.23 |
| 1880 | 17 | #434 | 0.15 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Israel a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 72,874 Americans recorded as Israel, 2% are girls and 98% boys. In 2025 it went to 42 girls and 1,081 boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Israel: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Israel, and how old are they?
66,100 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 91% of the 72,874 Americans ever recorded as Israel. The median Israel alive today is 21 years old; half are between 11 and 34.
The 2020 Census counted 72,115 people named Israel (1,116 women and girls, 70,999 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 58,864 born in the U.S. The Census count is 23% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 274 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 2,390 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 6,820 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 11,800 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 24,800 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 20,100 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Israel born?
The states with the most babies named Israel are Texas, California and Florida, with 44% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 205 | #181 | 2.3× |
| California | 188 | #195 | 1.7× |
| Florida | 70 | #287 | 0.8× |
| New York | 61 | #303 | 1.5× |
| Georgia | 42 | #295 | 0.7× |
| North Carolina | 41 | #303 | 0.7× |
| Arizona | 39 | #216 | 1.5× |
| Pennsylvania | 29 | #373 | 0.5× |
| Washington | 27 | #275 | 0.8× |
| Ohio | 26 | #503 | 0.3× |
Where Israel is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Israel is most over-represented in Texas: since 1910 it was given 2.3 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Israel with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 4 names spelled alike, given to 79,718 babies since 1880, Israel is the most given (91% of them). In 2025 it was given to 1,123 of their 1,220 babies (92%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Israel
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Israel and names like it
- Compare Israel and IsrealBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2000sIsrael peaked in 2007.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Israel since 1910.
- Hebrew namesWiktionary’s origin for Israel: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2007The year the most babies were named Israel.
- The names of Generation ZMost people named Israel alive today were born 1997-2012.
- Names starting with IMost given first.