Nameling

Axel

Gender
Boy
Say it
AK-sel
Origin
Hebrew
UK rank, 2025
#152 for boys
US rank, 2025
#79 for boys

Axel is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “father of peace”. In 2025 it ranked 152nd for boys in the UK (386 babies) and 79th for boys in the US (4,140 babies).

What does Axel mean?

Hebrew: medieval Danish form of Absalom

“father of peace”

Absalom is the rebellious son of King David in the Bible.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Axel a girl's or a boy's name?

Axel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 386 boys in the UK and 8 girls and 4,140 boys in the US.

How popular is Axel in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#152among boys
Babies in 2025
386about 1 in 780 boys
Five-year trend
Risingup 70% in five years
Same name in a class
1.8%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 386 boys in the UK were named Axel, making it the 152nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 175th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 606 boys.

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Axel than any year since 2020.

Half of all the boys named Axel in the UK since 1996 were born between 2018 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 432 boys in the UK were given Axel or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #151, up from #152 for this spelling alone.

Among boys in 2025, it was 147th in England and Wales, 226th in Scotland and 314th in Northern Ireland.

1996Busiest: 606 in 20222025
Axel in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025386#152
2024474#129
2023516#115
2022606#103
2021447#146
2020342#175
2019241#242
2018228#253
2017188#304
2016137#378
2015128#384
201493#483
201357#657
201256#678
201144#793
201047#727
200930#972
200833#905
200724#1,102
200635#798
200525#972
200413#1,417
200314#1,272
200219#988
200117#1,008
200012#1,235
199912#1,188
199818#906
199717#941
199617#897

How popular is Axel in the US?

Rank in 2025
#79among boys
Babies in 2025
4,140about 1 in 410 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 2% in five years
Same name in a class
3.3%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 4,140 boys in the US were named Axel, making it the 79th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 72nd. Its busiest year was 2020, with 4,667 boys. 8 girls were also named Axel in 2025 (10,913th for girls).

2025 had fewer boys named Axel than any year since 2018.

Half of all the boys named Axel in the US since 1880 were born between 2011 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 4,720 boys in the US were given Axel or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #77, up from #79 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 4,667 in 20202025
Axel in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
20254,140#79
20244,255#78
20234,523#71
20224,350#76
20214,540#76
20204,667#72
20194,505#84
20184,074#94
20173,789#104
20163,467#116
20153,249#123
20142,806#145
20132,428#168
20122,482#162
20113,036#137
20101,973#187
20091,319#264
20081,257#272
20071,196#288
20061,132#296
20051,047#314
2004938#325
2003809#346
2002910#314
20011,274#258
2000731#361
1999191#797
1998192#794
1997171#836
1996161#858
1995145#914
1994133#952
1993124#962
1992135#908
1991151#841
1990131#894
1989115#948
198848#1,520
198749#1,465
198656#1,298
198536#1,697
198437#1,605
198329#1,863
198225#2,110
198125#2,085
198026#2,058
197929#1,867
197820#2,279
197724#2,008
197626#1,872
197517#2,448
197417#2,356
197320#2,035
197216#2,323
197119#2,125
197034#1,434
196931#1,440
196823#1,649
196712#2,351
196614#2,131
196515#2,083
196415#2,113
196313#2,299
196214#2,185
196118#1,947
196013#2,313
195919#1,864
195819#1,837
19570–
19569#2,796
19556#3,503
19540–
19530–
195211#2,374
19517#3,064
195014#2,018
19499#2,605
19485#3,665
19479#2,670
19467#2,918
19458#2,573
19448#2,632
194312#2,181
19429#2,522
19419#2,491
19405#3,458
19398#2,609
19386#3,174
19378#2,680
193611#2,184
193515#1,837
19348#2,742
19330–
193210#2,465
19318#2,863
193015#1,964
192920#1,672
19286#3,695
192723#1,603
192613#2,302
192533#1,246
192422#1,675
192324#1,551
192223#1,591
192141#1,101
192027#1,416
191921#1,623
191840#1,079
191736#1,113
191649#892
191549#879
191425#1,153
191321#1,112
191227#854
191111#1,037
191012#927
19098#1,083
19086#1,216
190711#814
190612#709
19058#918
19046#1,063
190310#734
19028#861
19016#942
190011#784
189914#521
189820#452
189717#473
189615#534
189520#437
189410#667
189323#371
189213#571
189117#427
189016#458
188918#434
188816#484
188718#392
188625#336
188516#462
188416#468
188312#527
188212#540
188114#460
188016#442

Names like Axel

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Asher Abel Eli Jonah Ezra Levi Elias Archer Noah Tobias Hudson Caleb

Other spellings of Axel

Axl Aksel Axle Axell Axyl Axcel Axxel Acxel Axil Axzel

Names related to Axel

Axiel Yaxiel

More Hebrew names

Isabella Elijah James Jack Mia Ava Jude Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Mateo Elsie Eliana

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Axel: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/axel, updated 20 October 2026.