How Many People Are Named Jael?
An estimated 7,523 people in the United States have the first name Jael. It is used for both genders, with 57.6% female. The average bearer is 16 years old, and Jael peaked in popularity in 2012 with 408 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Jael as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Jael paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Jael is a genuinely unisex name, given to both boys and girls in roughly equal numbers.
- Jael is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 16, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.
Estimated Living Americans
7,523
About 1 in 45,561 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
57.6% confidence
Average Age
16
years old
Peak Year
2012
408 births
Total Registered
7,640
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Jael
Jael is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (42.4%) and females (57.6%). Out of 7,640 total births registered, 3,239 were male and 4,401 were female.
Jael as a male name
Ranked #1,363 in 2024
138 male births in 2024
Peak: 2012 (202 births)
Jael as a female name
Ranked #1,470 in 2024
148 female births in 2024
Peak: 2012 (206 births)
Jael in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 6,487 people with the first name Jael, which placed it at #3,291 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Jael was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 6,487 people with this name in that snapshot, 36.6% were male and 63.4% were female. That is more heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 57.6% female.
Census Count
6,487
people with this name
Census Rank
#3,291
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
2.15
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Jael was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (59.46%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (20.90%) and White (14.27%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Jael in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Jael.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 59.46% | 3,855 |
| Black | 20.90% | 1,355 |
| White | 14.27% | 925 |
| Two or More Races | 3.55% | 230 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.40% | 91 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.42% | 27 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Jael: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Jael span from the 1950s to the 2020s, covering 8 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 3,045 babies were registered. While Jael is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Jael by Decade
How has Jael tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Jael by State
Birth registrations for Jael span all 30 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, New York. The lowest are in South Carolina, Rhode Island, Oregon. On average, about 154 Jaels were registered per state.
Jael + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Jael as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Jael
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
Jael: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jael?
We estimate approximately 7,523 people named Jael are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 45,561 Americans share this first name.
Is Jael a common name?
Jael is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 97.3% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 7,640 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Jael most popular?
Jael reached peak popularity in 2012, when 408 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Jael is approximately 16 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Jael in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 6,487 people with the first name Jael. That placed it at #3,291 in the published Census first-name tables, or 2.15 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Jael was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Jael?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Jael was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 36.6% male and 63.4% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Jael?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Jael was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (59.46%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (20.90%) and White (14.27%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Jael a female name?
Jael is predominantly female. 57.6% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Jael have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Jael peaked in 2012, and the average living bearer is about 16 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Jael Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Jael Smith, Jael Johnson, Jael Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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