Axell
Axell was the 2007th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 75 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 1566th with 111 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,986 places. More babies were named Axell in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Axel) Origin uncertain · Danish, Swedish, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #2,007 boys, down 262 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 75boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021111 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,125babies recorded
What does the name Axell mean?
Axell 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
Axell popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,007 | 75 |
| 2020 | #1,745 | 88 |
| 2010 | #3,464 | 31 |
| 2000 | #5,062 | 14 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Axell, counting every spelling?
Axell is a spelling of Axel, a name family that ranked #79 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,007 for Axell 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 Axell?
75 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Axell (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Axell 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 112 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Axell.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Axell?
About 1,100 people born in the US named Axell are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 4 and 13. That makes Axell 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.
Axell by state
How common Axell was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.4×). In 38 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 Axell: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Axell, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Axell
What does Axell 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 Axell?
Axell was the 2007th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 75 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 1566th with 111 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,986 places. More babies were named Axell in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Axell a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Axell in the US.
Where is Axell most popular?
In 2021–2025, Axell was most common in Arizona (0.13 per 1,000 boys), followed by Utah and California.