Total births
5,207
Unisex name · since 1984
Yael
Yael has 5,207 recorded births since 1984 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2023 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #788
- among boys today
- 5,207
- born since 1984
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yael currently ranks #788 among unisex names in America, with 5,207 babies recorded since 1984.
Social Security Administration records show Yael recorded 5,207 times among boys since 1984, holding rank #788 nationally today, ahead of 94% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1984 to 2025.
- #788 among boys today
- 5,207 born since 1984
- 2010s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Yael is currently the #788 unisex name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 5,207 born since 1984, peaking in the 2010s.
- #788
- among boys today
- 5,207
- born since 1984
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Yael vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#788
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Yael was born in this single decade.
2023
Single peak year
329 babies were named Yael in 2023 - its busiest year on record.
How Yael compares
5,207 Top 12% higher than 88% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Yael's all-time total is 14x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Yael | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,207 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 329 | 23 | 22,252 |
Yael's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Yael's full recorded timeline at 2008, 80% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 20% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1984, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2023 peak of 329 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Yael at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2023
Current rank
#788
Active since
1984
Yael popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1984–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 329
- Annual births at peak, across 42 years of records
Yael popularity over time - girls
4,501 total births recorded since 1954 (Yael as girls' name)
Yael by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Yael's strongest decade.
2,118 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Yael births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 21
1980s
21 births
- 1990s 99
1990s
99 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,374 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,118 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,595 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 2,118 births (41% of all-time use).
How Yael compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Yael's total volume
Yael vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Yael by state
Where Yael concentrates geographically, total births since 1984
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,157 | 22.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 847 | 16.3% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 288 | 5.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 267 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Arizona | | 237 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Florida | | 216 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 174 | 3.3% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 154 | 3.0% |
California share of Yael's total US births 22.2%
Even split
1,157 of 5,207 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Yael appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Yael? ▼
Yael has been given to 5,207 babies in the U.S. since 1984, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #788 as of the latest data. 329 babies were born in 2023, its single highest year.
When was Yael most popular? ▼
Yael was most popular in the 2010s decade with 2,118 total births. The single peak year was 2023.
Where is Yael most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Yael are California (1,157 births), Texas (847 births), Illinois (288 births).
Is Yael a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Yael is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 5,207 births, and as a girl's name it has 4,501 births.
How long has the name Yael been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Yael since 1984 -- 42 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What to do with Yael's data
- Yael's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (2,118 total births) through the 2020s (1,595) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Yaels (1,157 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Yael
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Yael
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1984–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Yael: #788 Unisex Name - 5,207 Births, Peak 2023." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/yael. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Yael 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 June 2026.