Yael
How to say it: yah-EL · /jɑˈɛl/
From Hebrew 'ya'el' meaning 'mountain goat' or 'ibex'. A biblical name borne by a heroine in the Book of Judges.
Yael was the 758th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 431 babies of either sex (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 46% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #623 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #758 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 (both sexes) | 431 |
| Share of births | 1 in 7,692 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +46% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #623 |
| In France, 2025 | #462 among boys’ names, 135 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
New to wide use in the last forty years, Yael is at its best in the 2020s. Holding its peak now, it should climb a bit more.
What goes with it
Soft sounding yah EL rises across two syllables with a biblical background. Eden and Tamar share its style.
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Yael is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, Hebrew, Spanish.
In France: #462 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Yael
- Yael Naim (born 1978)Israeli singer
- Yael Stone (born 1985)Australian actress
- Yael Falcón (born 1988)Argentine association football referee
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
About as popular as Yael
In the same lists
Find names you'll both love, starting with Yael
The one-minute style quiz.