Given name
Jael
“resembling a mountain goat”
In Jewish use, Jael is used as a variant of Yael.
Original Hebrewיעל
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “resembling a mountain goat.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
In Jewish use, Jael is used as a variant of Yael.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1957. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Jael is a variant of Yael. The history of Yael gives this family its wider story. Yael has a place in biblical naming traditions.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Jael appears in Judges 4:17.
From biblical name research
Jael through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,948
- 3,387 boys · 4,561 girls
- Most popular year
- 2012
- 409 babies
- 2025
- 304
- #1,393 for girls · #1,317 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −2%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 49% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 157 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,393 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 4.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 206 in 2012. It also appeared in 147 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (19). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,487 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jael’s family of names
In English usage, Jael developed from the Hebrew form יעל. Jael has a related form in Yael. Jael has a related form in Jaela.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
Similar names
If you love Jael, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ari
“resembling a lion or an eagle”
62% boys · 38% girls
Ariel
“a lioness of God” · “a lion of God”
27% boys · 73% girls
Yona
“dove” · “resembling a dove”
62% boys · 38% girls
Jayme
“he who supplants” · “she who supplants”
36% boys · 64% girls
Mica
“who is like (Yahweh)?”
54% boys · 46% girls
Michal
“brook”
27% boys · 73% girls
Micaiah
“who is like (Yahweh)?”
73% boys · 27% girls
Jacky
“God is gracious” · “the supplanter”
73% boys · 27% girls