My family has bestowed upon me a variety of nicknames over the years. To some of my cousins I’m “Owen.” My uncle calls me Lauren Gracie (my middle name is Grace) and perhaps my favorite is “Bobber” which is something my dad has called me since I was about four years old. Each name has its own significance and meaning, depending on who gave it to me and why. Of course, my given name is still the most popular one.


The night that Jacob wrestled with an angel, God decided to give him a new name. The new name of “Israel” was significant because it meant that he had not only struggled against God, but against man as well. The most interesting part about Jacob’s name change was that he continued to be known by both names. To his family he was Jacob, but to the generations that came after him, he was known as Israel. He represented exactly what God’s Hebrew children were going through: struggle against man and God. What better way to commemorate that than with a name change.