Axle
Axle was the 1709th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 95 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 1266th; the most babies were born in 2021 (150). Over the last ten years it has moved down 340 places. More babies were named Axle in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Axel) Origin uncertain · Danish, Swedish, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #1,709 boys, down 340 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 95boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021150 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,816babies recorded
What does the name Axle mean?
Axle 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
Axle popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,709 | 95 |
| 2020 | #1,369 | 129 |
| 2010 | #3,183 | 35 |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1990 | #5,413 | 9 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Axle, counting every spelling?
Axle is a spelling of Axel, a name family that ranked #79 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,709 for Axle 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 Axle?
95 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Axle (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Axle 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 88 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Axle.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Axle?
About 1,800 people born in the US named Axle are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 5 and 11. That makes Axle 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.
Axle by state
How common Axle was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Tennessee (2.0×). In 29 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 Axle: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Axle, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Axle
What does Axle 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 Axle?
Axle was the 1709th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 95 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 1266th; the most babies were born in 2021 (150). Over the last ten years it has moved down 340 places. More babies were named Axle in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Axle a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Axle in the US.
Where is Axle most popular?
In 2021–2025, Axle was most common in Tennessee (0.14 per 1,000 boys), followed by Louisiana and Oklahoma.