Axel
Scandinavian medieval form of Absalom, Hebrew for “my father is peace.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Axel appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 2018 to 2025. Its biggest year was 2020, when 4,667 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 72 nationally. Its best ranking came in 2023, at No. 71. In 2025 it ranked No. 79 for boys. All told, 72,668 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Axl (4,413), Aksel (2,561), Axle (1,816), Axell (1,125), Axyl (525) (total births since 1880)
Explore Axel interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 163 | No. 336 |
| 1890s | 165 | No. 371 |
| 1900s | 86 | No. 709 |
| 1910s | 291 | No. 854 |
| 1920s | 232 | No. 1101 |
| 1930s | 89 | No. 1837 |
| 1940s | 81 | No. 2182 |
| 1950s | 85 | No. 1838 |
| 1960s | 168 | No. 1440 |
| 1970s | 222 | No. 1435 |
| 1980s | 446 | No. 951 |
| 1990s | 1,534 | No. 795 |
| 2000s | 10,613 | No. 258 |
| 2010s | 31,809 | No. 84 |
| 2020s | 26,475 | No. 71 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.