Aksel
Aksel was the 1267th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 155 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 1029th with 198 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 92 places. More babies were named Aksel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Axel) Origin uncertain · Danish, Swedish, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #1,267 boys, down 90 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 155boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2018198 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,561babies recorded
What does the name Aksel mean?
Aksel is a spelling of Axel, pronounced the same way, so it shares Axel's meaning and origin.
Axel is a Scandinavian name, Aksel in Danish and Norwegian. Its usual explanation runs through the 12th-century Danish archbishop Absalon, who was also known as Axel; Absalon is the biblical Absalom, 'father of peace' according to DMNES. Wiktionary and Wikipedia both add a second view: the bishop's name may have blended with the older Norse name Áskell, from words for 'god' and 'cauldron' or 'helmet'. Axel has been used in Sweden, Denmark and Germany for centuries and spread to English speakers much later.
Absalon (Danish, “form of Absalom”)אַבְשָׁלוֹם (Biblical Hebrew, “Avshalom, father of peace”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two explanations: from Absalon (Absalom), or from the Norse name Áskell, possibly blended. Sources do not settle it.
Related names: Aksel, Axl, Akseli, Absalom.
See also: Scandinavian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Axel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Axel (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Absalom', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Aksel popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,267 | 155 |
| 2020 | #1,177 | 163 |
| 2010 | #1,399 | 119 |
| 2000 | #3,768 | 21 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Aksel, counting every spelling?
Aksel is a spelling of Axel, a name family that ranked #79 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,267 for Aksel on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,505 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axel | 4,140 | #79 | 21,808 |
| Aksel | 155 | #1,267 | 709 |
| Axle | 95 | #1,709 | 596 |
| Axell | 75 | #2,007 | 476 |
| Axcel | 11 | #7,250 | 58 |
| Axxel | 9 | #8,335 | 43 |
| Acxel | 9 | #8,257 | 33 |
| Axzel | 6 | #10,835 | 25 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Aksel?
155 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Aksel (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Aksel born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 54 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Aksel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Aksel?
About 2,500 people born in the US named Aksel are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 14. That makes Aksel a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Aksel by state
How common Aksel was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Colorado (4.6×), Wisconsin (2.8×), Minnesota (2.6×), Washington (2.3×). In 30 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Aksel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Aksel, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Aksel
What does Aksel mean?
The origin of Axel is uncertain: two explanations: from Absalon (Absalom), or from the Norse name Áskell, possibly blended. Sources do not settle it.
How popular is the name Aksel?
Aksel was the 1267th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 155 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 1029th with 198 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 92 places. More babies were named Aksel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Aksel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Aksel in the US.
Where is Aksel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Aksel was most common in Colorado (0.38 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wisconsin and Minnesota.