Given name & surname · also Latin, German
Axel
“source of life; small oak”·“axe”·“peace”
Axel is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “source of life; small oak”, “axe”, and “peace”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original GermanAbsalom
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “source of life; small oak”, “axe”, and “peace”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with German, Latin, and Hebrew naming traditions.
How it developed
In German usage, Axel developed from Aksel.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Axel is a form of Absalom. The history of Absalom gives this family its wider story. Absalom appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Axel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 72,668
- 72,459 boys · 209 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 4,675 babies
- 2025
- 4,148
- #79 for boys · #11,077 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +6%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 4,140 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 79 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 6.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 8 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (597). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 42,999 as a first name in 2020; 681 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Axel’s family of names
Axel has an affectionate form in Acke. In German usage, Axel developed from the Danish form Aksel. Axel has a related form in Axl.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Axel has relatives in 11 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
11 related names in 11 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Absalomvariant · German
- Axlvariant
- Akselvariant · Norwegian, Danish
- Axellvariant
- Axxellikely variant
- Axilvariant
- Axevariant
- Axvariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 12
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Absalonequivalent
- Axelsen“son of” surname · Danish
- Aksalborrowing · Faroese
- Akselicognate · Finnish
- Assalonneequivalent
- Авессаломequivalent
- Absalónequivalent
- А́ксельRussian
Show 4 moreShow fewer
People named Axel
- Axel WitselBelgian association football player (born 1989)
- Akseli Gallen-KallelaFinnish painter (1865-1931)
- Axel MuntheSwedish physician (1857-1949)
- Axel OxenstiernaSwedish statesman (1583-1654)
- AxelBrazilian association football playerborn 1970
- Axel DisasiFrench footballer (born 1998)
- Axel TuanzebeDR Congolese footballerborn 1997
- Axel PaulsenNorwegian figure skater and speed skater (1855–1938)
- Axel Fredrik CronstedtSwedish mineralogist and chemist (1722-1765)
Characters named Axel: Axel Foley (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Axel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Abel
“the life force; breath”
>99% boys
Ezekiel
“God strengthens” · “strengthened by God”
>99% boys
Ezra
“help” · “one who is helpful”
95% boys · 5% girls
Eli
“one who has ascended; my God on high”
99% boys · 1% girls
Gabriel
“man of God” · “a hero of God”
>99% boys
Elias
“Jehovah is my God” · “yahweh is God”
>99% boys
Emmanuel
“God is with us”
>99% boys
Judah
“praised” · “one who praises God”
98% boys · 2% girls