Yael
Yael is a given name of Hebrew origin. It is the name of biblical figure Jael, who saved the Israelites by killing Sisera, commander of the Canaanite king Jabin's army, by hammering a tent peg through his temple while asleep in her tent. The Hebrew ya'el means ibex, a nimble, sure-footed mountain goat native to that region.
Meaning & Origin of Yael
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Yael is a given name of Hebrew origin. It is the name of biblical figure Jael, who saved the Israelites by killing Sisera, commander of the Canaanite king Jabin's army, by hammering a tent peg through his temple while asleep in her tent. The Hebrew ya'el means ibex, a nimble, sure-footed mountain goat native to that region.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Yael
As a girl name
Yael first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1954, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 166 Yaels were born — ranking #1,381 that year. As of 2026, Yael ranks #1,553 for girls with 138 births, rising sharply (+16% over the past five years). In total, more than 5K Yaels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Yael first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1984, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 350 Yaels were born — ranking #751 that year. As of 2026, Yael ranks #751 for boys with 350 births, rising sharply (+46% over the past five years). In total, more than 6K Yaels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Yael
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Yael Abecassis (b. 1967), Israeli actress and model
- Yael Arad (b. 1967), Israeli Olympic-medalist judoka
- Yael Averbuch West (b. 1986), American soccer player
- Yael Bartana (b. 1970), Israeli video artist
- Yael Bitrán (b. 1965), Chilean-born naturalized Mexican historian, translator, and musicologist
- Yael Braudo-Bahat , Israeli peace activist
- Yael Cohen (b. 1986), founder and CEO of Fuck Cancer
- Yael Dayan (1939-2024), Israeli writer and politician
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Yael
Phonetically similar names — useful when Yael is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Yael
What does the name Yael mean?
How popular is Yael in 2026?
When was Yael most popular?
In which U.S. states is Yael most popular?
Is Yael a unisex name?
What names go well with Yael?
About the name Yael
Yael is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1984 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Yael's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #751. Use the chart and map above to compare Yael's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "Y" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.