Axel

Axel: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “father of peace”
Origin: Scandinavian
Say it: AK-sel · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

Scandinavian and German form of Absalom via Axelen/Axel. It ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Avshalom.

Scandinavian names German names Names meaning peace Classic names International names Short names

How popular is Axel?

20241,278 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Axel in 20244,253

2024 rank#78 boys

Peak year2020

Total US babies since 188068,489

Axel is rising: use over the last five years is 1.9× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Axel

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Axlfather of peace · Scandinavian
Akselfather of peace · Scandinavian
Jensenson of Jens · Scandinavian
Ericketernal ruler · Scandinavian
Boto live; dwelling · Scandinavian
Gunnerbold warrior · Scandinavian
JohanGod is gracious · Scandinavian
Sorenstern · Scandinavian

Axel questions

What does the name Axel mean?

Axel means "father of peace". It comes from Scandinavian. Scandinavian and German form of Absalom via Axelen/Axel. It ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Avshalom.

Is Axel a boy or girl name?

Axel is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Axel?

4,253 US babies were named Axel in 2024. Its peak year was 2020.

How do you pronounce Axel?

Axel is usually pronounced AK-sel.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.