Axel
A Scandinavian form of the Hebrew Avshalom, my father is peace, the name of King David's son. Danish and Swedish usage shortened and reshaped it.
Axel in 2025
Axel was given to 4,148 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 133rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 799 babies born.
The history of Axel
Axel reached its highest point in 2020, when 4,675 babies were given the name, ranking 118th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 72,668 babies have been named Axel. Half of them were born before 2017, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Axel by decade
| Decade | Babies named Axel | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 163 | 760 |
| 1890s | 165 | 951 |
| 1900s | 86 | 1,744 |
| 1910s | 291 | 1,789 |
| 1920s | 232 | 2,213 |
| 1930s | 89 | 3,656 |
| 1940s | 81 | 4,501 |
| 1950s | 85 | 4,222 |
| 1960s | 168 | 3,555 |
| 1970s | 222 | 3,533 |
| 1980s | 446 | 2,222 |
| 1990s | 1,534 | 1,808 |
| 2000s | 10,670 | 505 |
| 2010s | 31,897 | 138 |
| 2020s | 26,539 | 118 |
Where Axel is heading
Axel has risen 27% over the past decade, from 3,261 babies in 2015 to 4,148 in 2025.
Names like Axel
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Axel.