Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Yael

Yael is actually a FEMALE name from the Hebrew Ya’el (יָעֵל) meaning “mountain goat”, specifically the Nubian ibex which is a species of goats found in the mountainous regions of Israel. The name is rendered as Jael in Biblical form with Yael being the ancient Hebrew version. It was borne by a woman who becomes an unlikely heroine in the Book of Judges; the one who Deborah prophesizes will receive the “glory for delivering Israel”. But let’s back up for a second. In the time of Deborah (c. 12th century B.C.) the Israelites were being cruelly subjugated by the Canaanite army under the command of Sisera. Judge Deborah calls upon Barak, the Israeli military general, to rise up against Sisera. Barak agrees but only if Deborah, a deft military leader herself, will accompany him into battle. “And [Deborah] said, ‘I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory; for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman’” (Judges 4:9). Enter Yael. After Barak and Deborah completely destroy the Canaanite army, Sisera is the only man alive. A fugitive on the run, Sisera enters the tent of Yael, wife of Heber the Kenite, belonging to a non-Canaan/non-Israeli neutral tribe. Thinking himself safe after Yael serves him milk and invites him to rest, Sisera falls asleep. The next scene is a little gory, so consider yourself forewarned. “Jael…took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to [Sisera] and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground…So he died” (Judges 4:21). So a woman saves the day just as Deborah promised. Not surprisingly Yael is a Top 10 favorite name for Jewish girls in Israel. Yet oddly enough, Yael is mainly being used as a masculine name in the United States. Perhaps Americans haven’t read their Bibles lately.

All About the Baby Name – Yael

Personality

OF THE UNISEX NAME YAEL

The number Seven personality is deeply mystical and highly in tune with their spirituality. They operate on a different wavelength than the average joe. Spending time alone comes easily to Sevens, as it gives them time to contemplate philosophical, religious and spiritual ideas in an effort to find "real truth".  Sevens are wise, but often exude mystery as if they are tapped into something the rest of us don't understand. They love the outdoors and are fed by nature. Sevens are constantly seeking to understand human nature, our place in the universe, and the mystery of life in general. This makes them quite artistic and poetic, but they are also keen observers with high intellect - so they are equally scientific-minded. Sevens are charitable and care deeply about the human condition.

Popularity

OF THE UNISEX NAME YAEL

Yael only first appeared on the masculine naming charts in 2007 which marks the first year this name made the Top 1000 list. Remarkably, Yael has never made the Top 1000 list for girls despite the fact that it’s really a female name. At least it’s not very popular for boys, though. It’s given to about 200 male babies per year (out of close to four million births). Most likely both Jael and Yael are bestowed upon Jewish-American daughters but just not with enough frequency to make the girl’s chart. We hate to break it to parents of baby boys, but we much prefer this one for the XX chromosomes rather than the XY. The Bible gives us so few memorable and heroic women we only ask you to leave them be. Yael is a better name for parents who appreciate female equality and want to imbue a symbol of Biblical power and courage upon their daughters. It’s also a quirky choice for a child born under the astrological sun sign of Capricorn which is marked by the mountain goat – a symbol of strong-willed and patient determination.

Quick Facts

ON YAEL

GENDER:

Unisex

ORIGIN:

Hebrew

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

ya-EL

SIMPLE MEANING:

Mountain goat

Characteristics

OF YAEL

Mystical

Wise

Eccentric

Intuitive

Imaginative

Philosophical

Solitary

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Yael

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME YAEL

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Yael

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME YAEL

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Yael


Popular Songs

ON YAEL

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Yael


Famous People

NAMED YAEL

Yael (Biblical figure)
Yael Abecassis (Israeli actress)
Yael Arad (Israeli judoka)
Yael Dayan (Israeli writer/politician)
Yael Naim (French-Israeli singer/songwriter)
Yael (Biblical figure)
Yael Abecassis (Israeli actress)
Yael Arad (Israeli judoka)
Yael Dayan (Israeli writer/politician)
Yael Naim (French-Israeli singer/songwriter)
Yael (Biblical figure)
Yael Abecassis (Israeli actress)
Yael Arad (Israeli judoka)
Yael Dayan (Israeli writer/politician)
Yael Naim (French-Israeli singer/songwriter)

Children of Famous People

NAMED YAEL

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Yael

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME YAEL

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Yael