Given name & surname
Aksel
“source of life; small oak”·“axe”·“peace”
Aksel is a variant of Axel. Interpretations include “source of life; small oak”, “axe”, and “peace”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Aksel is a variant of Axel. Interpretations include “source of life; small oak”, “axe”, and “peace”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Aksel is a variant of Axel. Axel has been associated with German, Latin, and Hebrew naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1989. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Aksel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,561
- 2,561 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2018
- 198 babies
- 2025
- 155
- #1,267 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 155 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,267 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 14.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 198 in 2018. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (21). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,636 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Aksel’s family of names
In Danish usage, Aksel has a later derivative in Axel. In Faroese usage, Aksel has a related form in AKSAL. Aksel has a related form in Axel.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Aksel has relatives in 8 languages.
4 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Aksel
- Aksel Lund SvindalNorwegian former alpine skierborn 1982
- Aksel SandemoseDanish-Norwegian author (1899–1965)
- Aksel HennieNorwegian actor, screenwriter, and director (born 1975)
- Aksel V. JohannesenFaroese politicianborn 1972
- Aksel AiroFinnish Army general (1898–1985)
- Aksel BergSoviet scientist and admiral (1893-1979)
- Aksel KankaanrantaFinnish singerborn 1998
- Aksel SørensenDanish gymnast (1891–1955)
- Aksel BondeDanish rower (1918-1996)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Aksel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.