Find out how popular the last name Israel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Israel.

Israel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Israel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Israel in America

Israel is the 26534th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Israel surname appeared 919 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Israel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Israel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Israel

The surname Isreal has its origins in the Hebrew language and is derived from the biblical name "Israel," which means "he who struggles with God" or "God's fighter." The name is rooted in the ancient Israelites, a Semitic people who inhabited the region of Canaan, now known as modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The name Isreal is believed to have emerged during the Iron Age, around the 12th century BCE, when the Israelites established their first kingdom in the region under the leadership of King Saul, David, and Solomon. It was during this period that the name became associated with the people and the land they inhabited.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Isreal can be found in the Cairo Geniza, a collection of Jewish manuscripts dating back to the 9th century CE. The manuscripts mention individuals with the surname Isreal, indicating that it was already in use by that time.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Isreal. One of the earliest was Rabbi Eleazar ben Judah of Worms (c. 1165-1230), a prominent Talmudic scholar and leader of the Jewish community in Worms, Germany. Another notable figure was Avraham ben Shmuel Isreal (c. 1330-1400), a Jewish philosopher and commentator who lived in Spain during the Golden Age of Jewish culture in the Iberian Peninsula.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the surname Isreal was Manoel Fernandes Isreal (c. 1505-1563), a Portuguese diplomat and navigator who played a significant role in establishing Portuguese trading posts in India and Southeast Asia.

Moving forward in time, we find Joseph Isreal (1730-1811), a Polish-Jewish merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the Jewish community in Warsaw, Poland.

In the 19th century, Raphael Isreal (1835-1917) was a notable British artist and painter, known for his depictions of contemporary life and historical themes.

While the surname Isreal has its roots in ancient history, it has been carried forward by individuals from various backgrounds and cultures, reflecting the diverse and far-reaching influence of the Israelites and their descendants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Israel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Israel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Israel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Israel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Israel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Israel, please contact us.

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