Yael
Hebrew name meaning ibex or mountain goat. In the book of Judges it belongs to the woman who kills the commander Sisera.
Yael in 2025
Yael was given to 431 babies in the United States in 2025 — 304 boys and 127 girls, making it the 1,308th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 7,692 babies born.
The history of Yael
Yael reached its highest point in 2023, when 472 babies were given the name, ranking 1,230th that year.
Across the 72 years of records since 1954, 9,708 babies have been named Yael. Half of them were born before 2012, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Yael by decade
| Decade | Babies named Yael | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 18 | 7,539 |
| 1960s | 154 | 2,950 |
| 1970s | 359 | 2,945 |
| 1980s | 543 | 2,825 |
| 1990s | 704 | 2,940 |
| 2000s | 2,258 | 1,558 |
| 2010s | 3,235 | 1,478 |
| 2020s | 2,437 | 1,230 |
Where Yael is heading
Yael has risen 51% over the past decade, from 286 babies in 2015 to 431 in 2025.
Names like Yael
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Yael.