The name seems to have something do to with fighting since the second and third letters in the name Yisrael (in Hebrew), "sr" are the same letters in the word for fighting in the explanation of the name. Furthermore, the last two letters of the name Yisrael, "el" refers to G-d, so there must be some connection with G-d.
The Radak (on 32:29) explains that the reference to Elokim in the explanation of the name is to the angel that Yaakov was fighting, and then the name Yisrael could mean to fight with G-d. This explanation is difficult for three reasons. One, as we discussed on 32:25-31, 33:10, "Who fought with Yaakov?" the assailant was Esav, and then Yaakov did not fight with G-d or an angel. (One could answer this question by claiming that Esav referred to fighting with an angel since as part of his deception he wanted to give Yaakov the impression that Yaakov was fighting with an angel.) Two, the name indicates chutzpah that a person is fighting with G-d. (One could partially answer this question by following Onkelos that the name Yisrael means that Yaakov had become mighty before G-d and not to fighting with G-d.) Three, as pointed by Altar (2004, p. 181) in names that ends with "el," usually G-d is the subject and not the object. For example, the name Yishmael, 16:11, means G-d hears or G-d will hear.
A second possibility is that the name Yisrael means, "G-d fights," see Fox, 1995, p. 155. Yet, what then is the connection of this name to the fight between Esav and Yaakov? Also, if the name is G-d fights, then one would expect G-d to win, while here Yaakov wins and not Elokim. One could claim that the term Elokim in the explanation of the name does not refer to G-d, but then there is even less connection to the incident here.
The more likely possibility is that name Yisrael means "G-d rules" or "G-d will rule." (Fox, 1995, p. 155 quotes this explanation from Buber, and Alter 1004, p. 181, follows this idea.) The idea being that fighting and ruling are related terms since usually the rulers of an area are people willing to fight, and the term sar in Hebrew means a ruler, as for example in Shemot 2:14. What then is the connection of the name Yisrael with this episode? Before suggesting an answer, we need to explain the explanation of the name, that "you fought with Elokim and people and prevailed."
A similar verse to 32:29 is 30:8 by Rahel's naming of Naftali (see Andersen, 1969, p. 200) raises an analogous question. In 30:8, Rahel said "I struggled with G-d (Elokim), struggled with my sister and I have prevailed." Both verses refer to struggling or fighting with G-d and other people and a person prevailing in the struggle. J.P. Fokkelman (1991, pp. 132-141) has also noted that Yaakov's fight with Esav is parallel to Rahel's fight with Lea, that both were the younger sibling fighting the older sibling. In 32:29 it is Yaakov who prevailed over Esav, while in 30:8 it is Rahel who believed that she prevailed over Lea. Yet, what can it mean in 30:8 that Rahel struggled with G-d? Rahel had a fight with Yaakov not with G-d, 30:1.
The phrase "Elokim and people" in 32:29 and by 30:8 means the natural order. Rahel was saying that she fought with the natural order, meaning she fought that the younger sister should prevail over the older sister. Similarly, Esav was saying that Yaakov fought with the natural order that the older brother should not dominate the younger brother, see our discussion on 25:29-34, "Code red".
Accordingly, in the explanation of the name Esav was acknowledging Yaakov's victory over the natural order, that the younger brother was stronger than the older brother, but the name Yisrael was to bring Yaakov down to negate his victory. Esav wanted Yisrael to know that really G-d rules so he gave him the new name of Yisrael.
Bibliography:
Alter, Robert, 2004, The five books of Moses: A translation and commentary, New York: W. W. Norton and Company.
Andersen, Francis, 1969, Note on Genesis 30:8, Journal of Biblical Literature, 88:2, June 1969, p. 200.
Fokkelman, J.P. 1991, Narrative Art in Genesis: Specimens of Stylistic and Structural Analysis, second Edition, JSOT Press.
Fox, Everett, 1995, The Five Books of Moses: A new translation, New York: Schocken Books.
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