Yael is a Hebrew name meaning "ibex" or "mountain goat". In the Bible it belongs to a woman, the heroine of the Book of Judges who kills the enemy general Sisera, and in Israel it remains a girls' name, but in Spanish-speaking families it is given mostly to boys. For boys Yael entered the US top 1000 in 2022, peaked at number 776 in 2023 and ranks number 818 in 2025.