boy's name
Axel
AK-sul (English)
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (France)
- Births on record 171,495
France
#71
2025 births
Axel is a boy's name of Scandinavian origin, a Danish form of the Hebrew Absalom, meaning "father of peace." The jump from Absalom to Axel happened through medieval Danish speech, and the two are the same name despite the distance between them.
- Axel is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in France in 2002, when 3,305 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 710 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1907.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Axel Over Time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 10 |
| 1920s | 25 |
| 1930s | 110 |
| 1940s | 250 |
| 1950s | 465 |
| 1960s | 640 |
| 1970s | 1,675 |
| 1980s | 4,740 |
| 1990s | 20,635 |
| 2000s | 30,055 |
| 2010s | 23,715 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,580 |
What Axel Means
Axel means father of peace, inherited from the Hebrew Avshalom, combining av, father, with shalom, peace. The meaning is somewhat at odds with the biblical Absalom, who rebelled against his father David and died in the attempt.
Where Axel Comes From
Axel is the Danish and Swedish development of Absalom, from the Hebrew Avshalom, father of peace. Medieval Danish compressed the name heavily — Absalon, then Aksel and Axel — and the Danish archbishop Absalon, who founded Copenhagen in the twelfth century, illustrates the intermediate form. The name has been common across Scandinavia for centuries and entered wider American use in recent decades. The biblical Absalom, David's third son, led a revolt against his father and was killed after his hair caught in the branches of a tree, an ending that sits oddly against a name meaning father of peace.
Axel in Use
Axel and Absalom are the same name, worn down by centuries of Danish speech until the connection is invisible.
How Popular Is Axel?
In 2025, Axel was given to 830 babies in France, ranking #71 that year. It is one of the most popular names in France.
Where Axel Is Used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Axel Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Axël | Axël is a rare spelling of Axel, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 15 times, mostly in France. | 15 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Axel
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Axel Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Axel over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Axel
- English AK-sul /ˈæksəl/
1 nickname for Axel
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
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Ax 5 births
Axel in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Axel
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Axel — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Axel
What does the name Axel mean?
Axel means "father of peace," inherited from the Hebrew Absalom.
Is Axel really the same name as Absalom?
Yes. Danish compressed Absalom to Absalon, then Aksel and Axel over several centuries.
Is Axel a Scandinavian name?
It developed in Denmark and Sweden and has been common across Scandinavia for centuries.
How popular is the name Axel?
In 2025, Axel was given to 830 babies in France, ranking #71 that year. It is one of the most popular names in France.
Is Axel a girl's or a boy's name?
Axel is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Axel?
Axel has 2 syllables.
When was Axel most popular?
Axel peaked in 2002, when 3,305 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Axel?
Axel is usually shortened to Ax.
Is Axel a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Axel currently ranks #71 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.