Israel ( name ) - wikipedia Israel ( name ) Israel Pronunciation / ˈɪzreɪəl / or / ˈɪzriːəl / Hebrew : ( jisʁaˈʔel ) Gender Male Origin Word / name Hebrew Meaning ' God Contended ', ' Wrestles with God ', ' Triumphant with God ' Other names Related names Izzy, Isaac, Rae Look up Israel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Look up ישראל in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Israel is a Biblical given name. The patriarch Jacob was given the name Israel ( Hebrew : יִשְׂרָאֵל, Standard Yisraʾel Tiberian Yiśrāʾēl ) after he `` wrestled with the angel '' ( Genesis 32 : 28 and 35 : 10 ). The given name is already attested in Eblaite ( 𒅖𒊏𒅋, išrail ) and Ugaritic ( 𐎊𐎌𐎗𐎛𐎍, yšrʾil ). Commentators differ on the original literal interpretation. The text of Genesis etymologizes the name with the root śarah `` to rule, contend, have power, prevail over '' : שָׂרִיתָ עִם ־ אֱלֹהִים ( KJV : `` a prince hast thou power with God '' ), but modern suggestions read the el as the subject, for a translation of `` El / God rules / judges / struggles '', `` El fights / struggles ''. 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 State of 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 This decree was revoked by the Allies in 1945.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 Baker ( 1919 -- 2011 ), American violinist and concertmaster 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 Pellew ( 1758 - 1832 ), British admiral 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 ), former Chief Rabbi of Israel Surname Al Israel, American actor Dan Israel, American musician Edward Israel ( 1859 -- 1884 ), American astronomer and polar explorer Elizabeth Israel ( c. 1875 -- 2003 ), Dominican supercentenarian Jonathan Israel ( born 1946 ), British historian Märt Israel ( born 1983 ), Estonian discus thrower Melvin Israel, later known as Mel Allen ( 1913 -- 1996 ), American sportscaster 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 ( 1930 -- 2014 ), Russian scientist and vice-chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change References Jump up ^ Campbell, Mike. `` Meaning, origin and history of the name Israel ''. Behind the Name. Jump up ^ `` Israel Definition and Meaning - Bible Dictionary ''. Bible Study Tools. Jump up ^ James P. Boyd, Bible dictionary, Ottenheimer Publishers, 1958 Jump up ^ Michael G. Hasel, Domination and Resistance : Egyptian Military Activity in the Southern Levant, Brill, 1998 Jump up ^ שָׂרָה śarah `` to contend, have power, contend with, persist, exert oneself, persevere '' ( Strong 's Concordance H8323 ) שָׂרַר śarar `` to be or act as prince, rule, contend, have power, prevail over, reign, govern '' ( Strong 's Concordance 8280 ) Jump up ^ Hamilton 1995, p. 334 Jump up ^ Wenham 1994, pp. 296 -- 97 `` 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. ' '' ( 1 ) Name list This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Israel_(name)&oldid=842844148 '' Categories : Given names Surnames Jewish surnames Masculine given names Country name etymology Hidden categories : Articles containing Hebrew - language text All articles with broken links to citations Articles with short description All set index articles Talk About Wikipedia Deutsch Hrvatski 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 25 May 2018, at 01 : 47. About Wikipedia

Question: who was known as israel in the bible
Answer: Jacob