Axel

#10,917 for girls in 2025, 8 births · #79 for boys in 2025, 4,140 births
Given to boys 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2023 · 4,523 births
Debut · boys
16 births
In top 100 · boys
8 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
72,459
since 1880

Axel over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201917boysat peak
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#10,9178#794,140
2024#11,1228#784,255
2023#8,48612#714,523
2022#7,28115#764,350
2021#8,02413#764,540
2020#11,0908#724,667
2019#11,3568#844,505
2018#11,4278#944,074
2017#6,53118#1043,789
2016#10,11310#1163,467
2015#8,93112#1233,249
2014#10,12910#1452,806
2013#16,5475#1682,428
2012#1622,482
2011#10,37410#1373,036
2010#13,4487#1871,973
2009#9,97511#2641,319
2008#12,5798#2721,257
2007#10,12911#2881,196
2006#2961,132
2005#10,9219#3141,047
2004#16,0995#325938
2003#346809
2002#11,1088#314910
2001#15,3525#2581,274
2000#361731
1999#799191
1998#795192
1997#838171
1996#860161
1995#917145
1994#955133
1993#965124
1992#911135
1991#845151
1990#898131
1989#951115
1988#1,52548
1987#1,46749
1986#1,29956
1985#1,69836
1984#1,60637
1983#1,86429
1982#2,11125
1981#2,08625
1980#2,05826
1979#1,86729
1978#2,27920
1977#2,00824
1976#1,87326
1975#2,45017
1974#2,35817
1973#2,03620
1972#2,32316
1971#2,12619
1970#1,43534
1969#1,44031
1968#1,65023
1967#2,35212
1966#2,13214
1965#2,08415
1964#2,11415
1963#2,30013
1962#2,18614
1961#1,94818
1960#2,31513
1959#1,86519
1958#1,83819
1957
1956#2,7989
1955#3,5056
1954
1953
1952#2,37611
1951#3,0667
1950#2,01914
1949#2,6069
1948#3,6685
1947#2,6719
1946#2,9197
1945#2,5748
1944#2,6338
1943#2,18212
1942#2,5239
1941#2,4919
1940#3,4595
1939#2,6098
1938#3,1756
1937#2,6808
1936#2,18411
1935#1,83715
1934#2,7428
1933
1932#2,46510
1931#2,8648
1930#1,96415
1929#1,67220
1928#3,6976
1927#1,60323
1926#2,30213
1925#1,24633
1924#1,67522
1923#1,55124
1922#1,59123
1921#1,10141
1920#1,41627
1919#1,62421
1918#1,07940
1917#1,11336
1916#89249
1915#87949
1914#1,15325
1913#1,11221
1912#85427
1911#1,03811
1910#92812
1909#1,0838
1908#1,2176
1907#81511
1906#70912
1905#9198
1904#1,0646
1903#73410
1902#8628
1901#9436
1900#78511
1899#52114
1898#45220
1897#47317
1896#53415
1895#43720
1894#66810
1893#37123
1892#57213
1891#42717
1890#45816
1889#43418
1888#48416
1887#39218
1886#33625
1885#46216
1884#46816
1883#52712
1882#54012
1881#46014
1880#44216
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Axel was already there! It came in at #442, and was given to 16 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1933, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.

Where Axel is popular in 1917

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #261 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,364 boysMNIllinois: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Axel, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Minnesota#261 · 1 in 2,364

Best ever in a state: #29 in Delaware, 2024.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Minnesota#26181 in 2,364
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Axel
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 1 spot since 2024 (#78#79)
  • 7 spots since 2020 (#72#79)
  • 44 spots since 2015 (#123#79)
  • Biggest jump: 574 spots in 1989 (#1,525#951)
  • Biggest drop: 402 spots in 1908 (#815#1,217)
Rise & fade · boys
143 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 2023 at #71 (4,523 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 8 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 8 yrs · run 2018–2025
  • Top 1,000: 68 yrs · run 1989–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 370
  • Highest: 1 in 370 boys born in 2020 were named Axel (0.27%)
  • Latest: 1 in 413 boys born in 2025 (0.24%)
  • Its best rank, #71 in 2023, was only 1 in 378 (0.26%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 2010s
  • 43.9% of all boys named Axel (31,809) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s163#336 (1886)#455
1890s165#371 (1893)#491
1900s86#709 (1906)#913
1910s291#854 (1912)#1,067
1920s232#1,101 (1921)#1,785
1930s89#1,837 (1935)#2,502
1940s81#2,182 (1943)#2,773
1950s85#1,838 (1958)#2,495
1960s168#1,440 (1969)#2,052
1970s222#1,435 (1970)#2,076
1980s446#951 (1989)#1,667
1990s1,534#795 (1998)#878
2000s10,613#258 (2001)#304
2010s31,809#84 (2019)#132
2020s26,475#71 (2023)#75

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Axel in 1917

boys
#1,113
36 births · 1 in 25,708 boys

Top boys' names in 1917

  1. #1John51,852
  2. #2William42,422
  3. #3James37,337
  4. #4Robert35,220
  5. #5Joseph24,761
  6. #6George24,196
  7. #7Charles24,143
  8. #8Edward17,501
  9. #9Frank15,768
  10. #10Thomas12,611
  11. #1,113Axel36
More about 1917

boys

925,482 boys got a published name in 1917; 1 in 25,708 of them was named Axel, which outranked 75.8% of the 4,602 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Axel
  1. #1,092Wilburt37
  2. #1,092Willam37
  3. #1,092Wyman37
  4. #1,113Axel36
  5. #1,113Alf36
  6. #1,113Aurelio36
  7. #1,113Bartholomew36
  8. #1,132Armin35
  9. #1,132Barnett35
  10. #1,132Beecher35

Tied with 18 names at #1,113; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
  1. 520Nicolas#1,304#784
  2. 469Hezekiah#1,415#946
  3. 433Hilliard#1,415#982
  4. 404Rayford#1,304#900
  5. 338Minoru#1,335#997
Fallers
  1. 1,738Tatsuo#824#2,562
  2. 709Berlin#984#1,693
  3. 556Prentice#972#1,528
  4. 473Manning#964#1,437
  5. 457Lovell#939#1,396

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1917