James Murray Yale was a clerk, and later, a Chief trader for the Hudson's Bay Company, during the late North American fur trade, as they were competing with the Montreal-based North West Company and the American Fur Company of John Jacob Astor. During his career, he would negotiate and compete with Americans, French Canadians, Russians, and Indians for market shares. He is best remembered for having given his name to Fort Yale, British Columbia, which became the city of Yale during the gold rush, and later on, became the name of the Yaletown district of downtown Vancouver.

Captain Elihu Yale was an American military commanding officer, and one of the first manufacturers of bayonets in Connecticut. He served during the American War of Independence, and later became the grandfather of penny press pioneer Moses Yale Beach.