Fun Facts About the Name Axel
- A newer favorite: Axel first entered the U.S. top 100 in 2018 and stayed there through 2025 - a run of 8 consecutive years.
- More than 72 thousand babies named Axel: U.S. records list 72,637 babies given the name Axel from 1880 through 2025. Even 209 girls received the name Axel - about 1 girl for every 347 boys.
What Does the Name Axel Mean?
Axel is a Scandinavian form of the biblical name Absalom, which comes from Hebrew. The Hebrew name Avshalom joins av, "father," with shalom, "peace," and is usually translated "father of peace." That meaning belongs to the Hebrew original; Axel is the northern European form of the same name. In medieval Denmark the biblical name was written Absalon, and Axel is a shortened, respelled development of it.
Axel Name History & Origins
The name entered Scandinavia with Christianity as the biblical Absalom, written Absalon in Denmark. Its most prominent early bearer was Absalon, the Danish archbishop of Lund (about 1128 - 1201), a churchman, military leader, and adviser to kings Valdemar I and Canute VI. In medieval Danish sources the name also appears in the shortened form that became Axel, and that form spread through Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
In Sweden, Axel was used in noble families, and Axel Oxenstierna (1583 - 1654), the Swedish chancellor who headed the government after the death of Gustavus Adolphus, is among its best-known historical bearers. The name is also long established in German-speaking Europe, and the spelling Axl is a modern variant of the same name.
How Popular is the Name Axel?
Axel recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2020. Axel entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2018.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,077 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #11,205 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #8,539 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #7,324 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #8,088 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2020 | #11,231 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #11,506 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #11,551 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #6,574 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2016 | #10,203 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #9,025 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #10,240 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #16,917 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #10,500 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #13,661 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #10,071 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #12,737 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #10,222 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #11,042 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #16,442 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #11,273 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #15,664 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #79 | 4,140 | 0.2424% |
| 2024 | #78 | 4,245 | 0.2475% |
| 2023 | #71 | 4,520 | 0.2646% |
| 2022 | #77 | 4,342 | 0.2489% |
| 2021 | #76 | 4,538 | 0.2596% |
| 2020 | #72 | 4,666 | 0.2705% |
| 2019 | #84 | 4,504 | 0.2511% |
| 2018 | #94 | 4,072 | 0.2243% |
| 2017 | #104 | 3,789 | 0.2048% |
| 2016 | #116 | 3,467 | 0.1827% |
| 2015 | #123 | 3,248 | 0.1695% |
| 2014 | #145 | 2,804 | 0.1460% |
| 2013 | #168 | 2,428 | 0.1284% |
| 2012 | #162 | 2,482 | 0.1309% |
| 2011 | #136 | 3,036 | 0.1599% |
| 2010 | #187 | 1,973 | 0.1028% |
| 2009 | #264 | 1,319 | 0.0665% |
| 2008 | #272 | 1,257 | 0.0616% |
| 2007 | #288 | 1,196 | 0.0576% |
| 2006 | #296 | 1,132 | 0.0551% |
| 2005 | #314 | 1,047 | 0.0524% |
| 2004 | #325 | 938 | 0.0473% |
| 2003 | #346 | 809 | 0.0410% |
| 2002 | #314 | 910 | 0.0469% |
| 2001 | #258 | 1,274 | 0.0656% |
| 2000 | #361 | 731 | 0.0372% |
| 1999 | #799 | 191 | 0.0099% |
| 1998 | #796 | 192 | 0.0100% |
| 1997 | #839 | 171 | 0.0091% |
| 1996 | #860 | 161 | 0.0085% |
| 1995 | #917 | 145 | 0.0076% |
| 1994 | #955 | 133 | 0.0069% |
| 1993 | #965 | 124 | 0.0063% |
| 1992 | #911 | 135 | 0.0068% |
| 1991 | #846 | 151 | 0.0075% |
| 1990 | #899 | 131 | 0.0064% |
| 1989 | #951 | 115 | 0.0057% |
| 1988 | #1,527 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 1987 | #1,469 | 49 | 0.0026% |
| 1986 | #1,300 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 1985 | #1,699 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1984 | #1,608 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 1983 | #1,866 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1982 | #2,116 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1981 | #2,091 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1980 | #2,065 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1979 | #1,871 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1978 | #2,288 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1977 | #2,009 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 1976 | #1,881 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1975 | #2,456 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1974 | #2,365 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1973 | #2,046 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1972 | #2,333 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1971 | #2,133 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1970 | #1,464 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1969 | #1,441 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1968 | #1,651 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1967 | #2,361 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #2,139 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1965 | #2,093 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1964 | #2,123 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1963 | #2,309 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #2,199 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1961 | #1,957 | 18 | 0.0008% |
| 1960 | #2,320 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1959 | #1,868 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1958 | #1,841 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1956 | #2,808 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #3,532 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #2,386 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #3,087 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #2,031 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1949 | #2,623 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1948 | #3,716 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #2,681 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #2,939 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #2,579 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1944 | #2,645 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1943 | #2,184 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1942 | #2,544 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #2,499 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1940 | #3,483 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #2,620 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1938 | #3,202 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1937 | #2,692 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1936 | #2,195 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1935 | #1,843 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1934 | #2,757 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1932 | #2,475 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1931 | #2,881 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #1,970 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1929 | #1,676 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1928 | #3,736 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #1,605 | 23 | 0.0020% |
| 1926 | #2,311 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1925 | #1,252 | 33 | 0.0030% |
| 1924 | #1,680 | 22 | 0.0019% |
| 1923 | #1,554 | 24 | 0.0022% |
| 1922 | #1,594 | 23 | 0.0021% |
| 1921 | #1,105 | 41 | 0.0037% |
| 1920 | #1,422 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1919 | #1,633 | 21 | 0.0021% |
| 1918 | #1,080 | 40 | 0.0039% |
| 1917 | #1,115 | 36 | 0.0039% |
| 1916 | #895 | 49 | 0.0055% |
| 1915 | #880 | 49 | 0.0058% |
| 1914 | #1,157 | 25 | 0.0038% |
| 1913 | #1,114 | 21 | 0.0041% |
| 1912 | #857 | 27 | 0.0063% |
| 1911 | #1,043 | 11 | 0.0049% |
| 1910 | #935 | 12 | 0.0062% |
| 1909 | #1,088 | 8 | 0.0049% |
| 1908 | #1,230 | 6 | 0.0039% |
| 1907 | #821 | 11 | 0.0075% |
| 1906 | #711 | 12 | 0.0090% |
| 1905 | #930 | 8 | 0.0060% |
| 1904 | #1,074 | 6 | 0.0047% |
| 1903 | #737 | 10 | 0.0084% |
| 1902 | #868 | 8 | 0.0065% |
| 1901 | #959 | 6 | 0.0056% |
| 1900 | #788 | 11 | 0.0073% |
| 1899 | #522 | 14 | 0.0132% |
| 1898 | #453 | 20 | 0.0163% |
| 1897 | #477 | 17 | 0.0151% |
| 1896 | #536 | 15 | 0.0125% |
| 1895 | #438 | 20 | 0.0170% |
| 1894 | #677 | 10 | 0.0086% |
| 1893 | #371 | 23 | 0.0205% |
| 1892 | #573 | 13 | 0.0107% |
| 1891 | #429 | 17 | 0.0168% |
| 1890 | #462 | 16 | 0.0144% |
| 1889 | #434 | 18 | 0.0163% |
| 1888 | #484 | 16 | 0.0132% |
| 1887 | #394 | 18 | 0.0177% |
| 1886 | #337 | 25 | 0.0226% |
| 1885 | #464 | 16 | 0.0148% |
| 1884 | #470 | 16 | 0.0140% |
| 1883 | #530 | 12 | 0.0115% |
| 1882 | #540 | 12 | 0.0106% |
| 1881 | #463 | 14 | 0.0139% |
| 1880 | #442 | 16 | 0.0145% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Axel
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Axel Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Axel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Axel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.