| Liora | Yael | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | my light | ibex, mountain goat |
| Origin | hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | lee-OR-ah | yah-EL |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1982 | 1954 |
| Peak year | 2025 (295) | 2022 (166) |
| In 2025 | 295 | 127 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Liora | Yael |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 749 | 842 |
| 2010s | 589 | 1,117 |
| 2000s | 237 | 884 |
| 1990s | 79 | 605 |
| 1980s | 29 | 522 |
| 1970s | 0 | 359 |
| 1960s | 0 | 154 |
| 1950s | 0 | 18 |
Modern Hebrew, the feminine of Lior: li 'for me / my' + or 'light,' hence 'my light' or 'light for me.' A coined given name rather than a biblical one, built transparently from everyday Hebrew words.
From Hebrew ya'el, 'ibex' — a nimble, sure-footed wild mountain goat. The same name as the heroine Jael, who killed Sisera (Judges 4-5). A concrete noun; the 'strength of God' gloss seen on some sites is not the standard derivation.
Liora is more popular than Yael today: about 295 US babies were given the name Liora in 2025, compared with 127 named Yael.
Liora means my light (hebrew origin), while Yael means ibex, mountain goat (hebrew origin).
In US records, Liora first appears in 1982 and Yael in 1954, so Yael has the longer recorded history.