Entry № 1318 · Hebrew origin

Yael Yael — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ yah-EL /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Hebrew
Meaning
"Ibex, mountain goat"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 0
First recorded
Ancient (Hebrew Bible)

A name that means "ibex, mountain goat".

Yael (יָעֵל) is the Hebrew name for the ibex — the wild mountain goat of the Levant and Middle East, known for its agility on impossibly steep cliffs. In the Book of Judges, Yael is the heroine who defeated the enemy general Sisera.

Yael is among the most popular girl names in Israel. It is rising in Western use, particularly in Jewish families. The Hebrew sound is two syllables; the English approximation is sometimes "yah-ELL."

The ibex, the mountain goat. A small fierce creature, named.

The name in its native script.

יָעֵל
Transliteration
Yāʿēl
Pronunciation
/ jɑːˈɛl /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Yael stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 0 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 0 in 0
Babies named Yael · last year
287 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
0
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · — NOW · —

Yaels before her.

Real people
Yael Naim
Israeli-French singer-songwriter.
born 1978
In fiction
Yael (Jael)
Heroine of the Book of Judges who defeated Sisera.
Hebrew Bible

Names connected to Yael.

The number behind Yael.

6

The Nurturer

Yael reduces to six — the number of fierce protective beauty.

Why families chose this name.

"She is small but fierce. The ibex on a cliff face is the right image."
Tamar · Mother of one · Haifa