Yael

יָעֵל

• Gender: Female
• Origin: Biblical / Rabbinic Hebrew
• Meaning: ibex, mountain goat

• Yael is one of the fiercest heroines in the entire Hebrew Bible. In the Book of Judges, she single-handedly took down the Canaanite general Sisera with a tent peg — yes, a tent peg — saving her people from a formidable enemy. The rabbis celebrated her courage and independence, and her name, meaning "ibex" or "mountain goat," only adds to her image of untamed, sure-footed strength.

  Think of a name that sounds impossibly chic in every context — a first day of school, a gallery opening, an international byline — and you have landed on this one. Actress Yael Grobglas brought the name to American living rooms through her role on "Jane the Virgin," and its growing popularity in the diaspora reflects a hunger for strong feminine names with real substance behind them. One syllable, a warrior backstory, and that crisp Israeli vowel — your daughter will thank you for this one.

• Alternate Spellings: Yaelle, Jael
• Potential Sibling Name:
  Yehudit
  ,
  Devora
  ,
  Ofer
  ,
  Zev
• Theme: animals