Unisex name · since 1957
Jael
Jael has 4,561 recorded births since 1957 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2012 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,731 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,390 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,561
- born since 1957
- 2010s
- peak decade
Jael currently ranks #1390 among unisex names in America, with 4,561 babies recorded since 1957.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jael has been recorded 4,561 times among girls since 1957, currently ranked #1390 nationally and more common than 92% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1957 to 2025.
- #2,731 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #1,390 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 4,561 born since 1957
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jael ranks #2,731 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,390 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 4,561 born since 1957, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,731 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #1,390 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,561
- born since 1957
- 2010s
- peak decade
Jael's 4,561 recorded births place it above 96.22% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
27 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Jael compares
4,561 Top 14% higher than 86% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Jael's all-time total is 12x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jael | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,561 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 206 | 21 | 19,840 |
Jael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Jael's full recorded timeline at 1996, 84% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 16% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1965, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2012 peak of 206 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Jael popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1957–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 206
- Annual births at peak, across 69 years of records
Jael popularity over time - boys
3,387 total births recorded since 1979 (Jael as boys' name)
Jael by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (1,630 births, 36% of the file).
2010s was Jael's strongest decade.
1,630 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Jael births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 14
1950s
14 births
- 1960s 25
1960s
25 births
- 1970s 156
1970s
156 births
- 1980s 279
1980s
279 births
- 1990s 510
1990s
510 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,106 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,630 births
- 2020s
2020s
841 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,630 births (36% of all-time use).
How Jael compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Jael's total volume
Jael by state
Where Jael concentrates geographically, total births since 1957
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 510 | 11.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 417 | 9.1% |
| #3 | Florida | | 321 | 7.0% |
| #4 | New York | | 292 | 6.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 156 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 117 | 2.6% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 109 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 103 | 2.3% |
510 of 4,561 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Jael appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jael? ▼
Where does Jael sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Jael most popular? ▼
Where is Jael most popular? ▼
Is Jael a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Jael been used? ▼
What names are similar to Jael? ▼
What to do with Jael's data
- Jael's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,630 total births) through the 2020s (841) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Jaels (510 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Jael
Nearby Names Like Jael
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jael
Compare Jael side by side: Jael vs Jaelyn Jael vs Jaelynn Jael vs Jaela
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jael
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Jael: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2012)
Similar record span (~68 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1957–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Jael draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.