Boy name origins & meanings
- Old German : Father of peace
- Swedish : Divine source of life
What does Axel mean and stand for?
The name Axel is of Old German origin and means "father of peace." It is the Medieval Danish form of Absalom.
Syllables: 2
Family name origins & meanings
- Scandinavian, Dutch, and North German : from the personal name Apsel, Danish and North German vernacular form of the Biblical name Absolom. As a Scandinavian surname it is a shortened form of the patronymic forms Axelsson or Axelsen.
- Belgian and Dutch : habitational name for someone from either of two places, Aksel in East Flanders or Axel in Zeeland.
Famous people who gave their babies this name
Popularity
Axel is the number eighty-three most popular boys name in the US, according to 2019 Social Security Administration data. It is only recently popular, breaking the top 100 in 2018.
However, it is the 6th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.
According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Axel was at its peak popularity in February 2018.
Axel is big hit in Scandinavia, and only recently a hit in America. Axel is a popular Scandinavian form of the Biblical Absalom, who was a son of King David. It has a rock 'n' roll feel in America thanks to Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose. Will Ferrell, Rob McElhenney, and Kaitlin Olson have all chosen the name for their sons, and Tiger Woods chose it as the middle name for his son. Axel has also been chosen as a character in William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom, The Middle, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Beverly Hills Cop.
Where is it Popular?
Axel was searched for most often in the following states:
Pairs well with these middle names
