Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Axel

Say it AK-sul 2 syllables

Danish

Common in France, Sweden, Quebec, and 2 more places. Rare across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 15 more places.

1 in 233 boys born in Catalonia in 2025. Number 48 there.

Axel in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 0, common in 5, rare in 20.
Axel in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales147 (up)20253631 in 7491682020
Scotland226 (down)2025181 in 1,0911642020
Northern Ireland314 (up)202551 in 1,6573922020
Ireland252 (down)2025181 in 1,3182112020
North America
Ontario (province)177 (down)202477about 1 in 7781462019
Quebec (province)65 (down)2025106about 1 in 274482020
British Columbia (province)157 (down)202322about 1 in 592912018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)Not in the published top 1002025872020
Victoria (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
Queensland (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
South Australia (state)Not in the published top 1002025962020
New ZealandNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Western Europe
France71 (down)20258351 in 363332020
Netherlands498 (down)202529about 1 in 2,2944232020
Central Europe
Austria981 (up)202531 in 12,6891,2092020
Switzerland205 (down)2025401 in 9001962020
Berlin (city)Rare: below the complete list20235822018
Munich (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Cologne (city)Rare: below the complete list20239802018
Bonn (city)397 (down)20251about 1 in 3,1703812020
Leipzig (city)Rare: below the complete list20254032020
Rostock (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Nordic countries
Norway126 (down)2025461 in 5061092020
Sweden39 (down)2025264about 1 in 163252020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
Spain99 (down)2024298822019
Catalonia (region)48 (down)2025891 in 233322020
Italy340 (new in the list)2024351 in 5,410Not listed2019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland391 (down)202571 in 18,0583252020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
SloveniaRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
IsraelRare: below the complete list2024Not listed2019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Axel comes from the Danish Aksel, a form of the biblical Absalom, the son of King David. The name was first used in this form for the medieval Danish bishop Absalon. There is a second account as well: some believe the bishop was originally named Askell, an Old Norse name built from words for "god" and "cauldron" or "helmet". Both explanations have their supporters.

2 more paragraphs

AK-sul has two syllables and a sharp, energetic sound, helped by the x at its centre. Aksel and Axl are other spellings, and Absalon and Absalom are its older forms.

Axel is most popular in Sweden, Catalonia and France, and it is also used in Quebec, England and Wales, and British Columbia. It reached its peak in the early 2000s and is now falling in most places.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
AK-sul · 2 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 2.
Meaning
No sourced meaning. We print a meaning only when a dictionary gives one.
Origin
Danish, Hebrew, and Old Norse
Related names
Aksel, Axl, Avessalom, Absalom, Akseli, Absalon, Assalonne, Absalón, Áskil, Aksal
Where Axel comes from (Wiktionary)

From Danish Aksel, first used for bishop Absalon Hvide (1128-1201), from biblical Absalom. Some sources suggest he was originally named Askell, from Old Norse "god" + "cauldron, helmet".

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Axel. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Axel over time

Rising in 1 of the 14 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 10. Peak in France: 2002.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Axel in England and Wales: #898 in 1996, a peak of #100 in 2022, and #147 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300#1,000#3,000200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #898, 16 boys1997: #914, 16 boys1998: #850, 18 boys1999: #1,130, 12 boys2000: #1,167, 12 boys2001: #947, 17 boys2002: #907, 19 boys2003: #1,248, 13 boys2004: #1,347, 13 boys2005: #919, 24 boys2006: #748, 34 boys2007: #1,053, 23 boys2008: #867, 31 boys2009: #944, 28 boys2010: #706, 43 boys2011: #759, 41 boys2012: #634, 55 boys2013: #632, 54 boys2014: #457, 86 boys2015: #363, 122 boys2016: #362, 128 boys2017: #303, 165 boys2018: #244, 213 boys2019: #228, 221 boys2020: #168, 311 boys2021: #138, 411 boys2022: #100, 547 boys2023: #109, 475 boys2024: #129, 431 boys2025: #147, 363 boys#898 in 1996peak #100, 2022#147in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
199689816
199791416
199885018
19991,13012
20001,16712
200194717
200290719
20031,24813
20041,34713
200591924
200674834
20071,05323
200886731
200994428
201070643
201175941
201263455
201363254
201445786
2015363122
2016362128
2017303165
2018244213
2019228221
2020168311
2021138411
2022100547
2023109475
2024129431
2025147363

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named Axel in France since 1925 were born in or after 2005. Peak: 2002, about 843 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 1 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 2.2 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 5.3 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 7 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 7.3 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 9.9 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 11.7 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 12.3 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 16.3 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 34.5 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 46.3 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 53.8 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 183.4 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 380.8 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 705.8 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 787.3 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 727.9 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 673.1 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 565.1 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 402.8 per 100,000 boys20202025: 275.9 per 100,000 boys20252000-2004: about 1 in 127 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–19291
1930–19342.2
1935–19395.3
1940–19447
1945–19497.3
1950–19549.9
1955–195911.7
1960–196412.3
1965–196916.3
1970–197434.5
1975–197946.3
1980–198453.8
1985–1989183.4
1990–1994380.8
1995–1999705.8
2000–2004787.3
2005–2009727.9
2010–2014673.1
2015–2019565.1
2020–2024402.8
2025275.9

Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Axel

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Axel, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 79, Italy

  2. 1 in 317, Scotland

  3. 1 in 135, Norway

  4. 1 in 516, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 89, France

  6. 1 in 651, France

  7. 1 in 1,042, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 78, Catalonia

  9. 1 in 159, England and Wales

  10. 1 in 819, England and Wales

All 40 brother names for Axel

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Axel's 2 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 50, Ireland

  3. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 62, Poland

  6. 1 in 88, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 137, Scotland

  8. 1 in 130, Scotland

Full-name check

Axel Oliver

Syllables 2-3Initials A.O.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Axel

Sisters for Axel: Elisa, Elsa, Margot, and 5 more
  1. ElisaRose and fell with Axel · Same generation as Axel
  2. ElsaRose and fell with Axel · Same generation as Axel
  3. MargotRose and fell with Axel · Same generation as Axel
  4. AliciaRose and fell with Axel · Same generation as Axel · Same initial as Axel
  5. JulietteRose and fell with Axel · Same generation as Axel
  6. ClaraRose and fell with Axel · Same generation as Axel
  7. AminaRose and fell with Axel · Same generation as Axel · Same initial as Axel
  8. AmiraRose and fell with Axel · As common as Axel · Same initial as Axel

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Axel

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Axel's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Rare across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 15 more places.

  2. Rare across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 17 more places.

  3. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 17 more places.

  4. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 14 more places.

  5. Rare in Italy, Poland, Israel, and 15 more places.

  6. Rare across France, the UK, Poland, and 17 more places.

  7. Rare across the UK, Poland, Israel, and 8 more places.

  8. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 10 more places.

Famous people named Axel

Axel Witsel, Axel Munthe, and 6 more

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Axel

How popular is Axel in England and Wales?

Axel ranked #147 in England and Wales in 2025, given to 363 boys, about 1 in 749.

Is Axel rising in popularity?

Not overall: it is falling in more places than it is rising. Rising in 1 of the 14 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 10. Rising in: Northern Ireland.

How many syllables does Axel have?

Axel has 2 syllables: AK-sul.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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