Meaning not yet researched.
Axel: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 4,140 in 2025. Its best rank was #71 in 2023.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #71 in 2023; #79 in 2025. About 99.8% of babies named Axel in 2025 were boys.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#79 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 2023, at #71.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Axel: US boys given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 4,140 boys in 2025. Peak: #71 in 2023 · most boys in one year: 4,667 (2020).
In 2025, 4,140 US boys were named Axel, making it the 79th most common boys’ name of the year, down 1 place from #78 in 2024. That is 115 fewer than the 4,255 boys named Axel in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #71, reached in 2023. The most boys given the name in a single year was 4,667, in 2020. For comparison, it was #123 in 2015 and #2,031 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Axel in 142 years of the 146 from 1880 to 2025, starting in 1880 with 16 babies. In all, 72,668 US babies have been given the name, 0.3% of them girls and 99.7% boys. Its busiest decade was the 2010s, with 31,897 babies named Axel.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 42,310 US boys were named Axel; the busiest of those years was 2020, with 4,667. In 2025 that was about 1 in 413 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Axel ranked highest in Oklahoma in 2025, at #51 for boys there. It was in the top 100 in 31 states (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Axl (4,413 babies since 1880), Aksel (2,561 babies since 1880) and Axell (1,125 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Axyl, Axcel and Axiel are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Ax.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Rare spellings summarised here: Axyl (525), Axcel (380), Axiel (276), Acxel (258), Absalom (208), Axelle (204), Axil (135), Axzel (106), Axsel (76), Akzel (49), Absalon (33), Akxel (25), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so 2 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 71 | #51 | #120 |
| New Mexico | 29 | #53 | #108 |
| North Dakota | 18 | #53 | #101 |
| Nevada | 47 | #54 | #103 |
| Wyoming | 8 | #56 | #110 |
| Texas | 597 | #57 | #70 |
| Arizona | 106 | #66 | #102 |
| Nebraska | 35 | #66 | #152 |
| Kansas | 50 | #66 | #105 |
| Kentucky | 67 | #69 | #173 |
| North Carolina | 167 | #69 | #126 |
| California | 531 | #70 | #104 |
| Maryland | 73 | #72 | #158 |
| Tennessee | 111 | #74 | #158 |
| Colorado | 86 | #74 | #86 |
| New York | 229 | #76 | #160 |
| Virginia | 112 | #77 | #140 |
| Oregon | 45 | #81 | #103 |
| Georgia | 135 | #82 | #146 |
| Iowa | 42 | #82 | #126 |
| South Dakota | 14 | #86 | #121 |
| Florida | 238 | #89 | #161 |
| Idaho | 26 | #89 | #123 |
| Minnesota | 69 | #89 | #110 |
| Illinois | 130 | #90 | #130 |
| Utah | 55 | #90 | #138 |
| Massachusetts | 79 | #90 | #176 |
| Indiana | 83 | #91 | #152 |
| Arkansas | 35 | #94 | #154 |
| District of Columbia | 9 | #98 | #170 |
| Washington | 79 | #98 | #119 |
| Wisconsin | 57 | #104 | #117 |
| Connecticut | 35 | #106 | #171 |
| Louisiana | 47 | #106 | #169 |
| New Jersey | 90 | #107 | #141 |
| Pennsylvania | 118 | #108 | #218 |
| South Carolina | 48 | #109 | #189 |
| Alabama | 47 | #110 | #150 |
| Montana | 11 | #110 | #160 |
| West Virginia | 17 | #113 | #131 |
| Maine | 10 | #126 | — |
| Delaware | 8 | #127 | #159 |
| Rhode Island | 9 | #127 | #117 |
| Michigan | 75 | #131 | #199 |
| Missouri | 54 | #134 | #188 |
| Ohio | 95 | #144 | #258 |
| Hawaii | 7 | #150 | #237 |
| Mississippi | 21 | #151 | #218 |
| New Hampshire | 8 | #170 | #170 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #11,077 | 4,140 | #79 |
| 2024 | 8 | #11,256 | 4,255 | #78 |
| 2023 | 12 | #8,553 | 4,523 | #71 |
| 2022 | 15 | #7,326 | 4,350 | #76 |
| 2021 | 13 | #8,091 | 4,540 | #76 |
| 2020 | 8 | #11,237 | 4,667 | #72 |
| 2019 | 8 | #11,510 | 4,505 | #84 |
| 2018 | 8 | #11,557 | 4,074 | #94 |
| 2017 | 18 | #6,578 | 3,789 | #104 |
| 2016 | 10 | #10,207 | 3,467 | #116 |
| 2015 | 12 | #9,027 | 3,249 | #123 |
| 2014 | 10 | #10,242 | 2,806 | #145 |
| 2013 | 5 | #16,919 | 2,428 | #168 |
| 2012 | — | — | 2,482 | #162 |
| 2011 | 10 | #10,502 | 3,036 | #137 |
| 2010 | 7 | #13,663 | 1,973 | #187 |
| 2009 | 11 | #10,071 | 1,319 | #264 |
| 2008 | 8 | #12,740 | 1,257 | #272 |
| 2007 | 11 | #10,223 | 1,196 | #288 |
| 2006 | — | — | 1,132 | #296 |
| 2005 | 9 | #11,043 | 1,047 | #314 |
| 2004 | 5 | #16,443 | 938 | #325 |
| 2003 | — | — | 809 | #346 |
| 2002 | 8 | #11,273 | 910 | #314 |
| 2001 | 5 | #15,664 | 1,274 | #258 |
| 2000 | — | — | 731 | #361 |
| 1999 | — | — | 191 | #799 |
| 1998 | — | — | 192 | #796 |
| 1997 | — | — | 171 | #839 |
| 1996 | — | — | 161 | #860 |
| 1995 | — | — | 145 | #917 |
| 1994 | — | — | 133 | #955 |
| 1993 | — | — | 124 | #965 |
| 1992 | — | — | 135 | #911 |
| 1991 | — | — | 151 | #846 |
| 1990 | — | — | 131 | #899 |
| 1989 | — | — | 115 | #951 |
| 1988 | — | — | 48 | #1,527 |
| 1987 | — | — | 49 | #1,469 |
| 1986 | — | — | 56 | #1,300 |
| 1985 | — | — | 36 | #1,699 |
| 1984 | — | — | 37 | #1,608 |
| 1983 | — | — | 29 | #1,865 |
| 1982 | — | — | 25 | #2,116 |
| 1981 | — | — | 25 | #2,091 |
| 1980 | — | — | 26 | #2,064 |
| 1979 | — | — | 29 | #1,871 |
| 1978 | — | — | 20 | #2,288 |
| 1977 | — | — | 24 | #2,009 |
| 1976 | — | — | 26 | #1,881 |
| 1975 | — | — | 17 | #2,456 |
| 1974 | — | — | 17 | #2,365 |
| 1973 | — | — | 20 | #2,046 |
| 1972 | — | — | 16 | #2,332 |
| 1971 | — | — | 19 | #2,133 |
| 1970 | — | — | 34 | #1,439 |
| 1969 | — | — | 31 | #1,442 |
| 1968 | — | — | 23 | #1,651 |
| 1967 | — | — | 12 | #2,362 |
| 1966 | — | — | 14 | #2,139 |
| 1965 | — | — | 15 | #2,095 |
| 1964 | — | — | 15 | #2,123 |
| 1963 | — | — | 13 | #2,309 |
| 1962 | — | — | 14 | #2,198 |
| 1961 | — | — | 18 | #1,957 |
| 1960 | — | — | 13 | #2,323 |
| 1959 | — | — | 19 | #1,868 |
| 1958 | — | — | 19 | #1,842 |
| 1956 | — | — | 9 | #2,808 |
| 1955 | — | — | 6 | #3,532 |
| 1952 | — | — | 11 | #2,386 |
| 1951 | — | — | 7 | #3,086 |
| 1950 | — | — | 14 | #2,031 |
| 1949 | — | — | 9 | #2,623 |
| 1948 | — | — | 5 | #3,716 |
| 1947 | — | — | 9 | #2,681 |
| 1946 | — | — | 7 | #2,939 |
| 1945 | — | — | 8 | #2,579 |
| 1944 | — | — | 8 | #2,645 |
| 1943 | — | — | 12 | #2,184 |
| 1942 | — | — | 9 | #2,544 |
| 1941 | — | — | 9 | #2,499 |
| 1940 | — | — | 5 | #3,483 |
| 1939 | — | — | 8 | #2,621 |
| 1938 | — | — | 6 | #3,201 |
| 1937 | — | — | 8 | #2,693 |
| 1936 | — | — | 11 | #2,195 |
| 1935 | — | — | 15 | #1,843 |
| 1934 | — | — | 8 | #2,758 |
| 1932 | — | — | 10 | #2,475 |
| 1931 | — | — | 8 | #2,881 |
| 1930 | — | — | 15 | #1,970 |
| 1929 | — | — | 20 | #1,676 |
| 1928 | — | — | 6 | #3,736 |
| 1927 | — | — | 23 | #1,605 |
| 1926 | — | — | 13 | #2,311 |
| 1925 | — | — | 33 | #1,252 |
| 1924 | — | — | 22 | #1,680 |
| 1923 | — | — | 24 | #1,554 |
| 1922 | — | — | 23 | #1,594 |
| 1921 | — | — | 41 | #1,105 |
| 1920 | — | — | 27 | #1,422 |
| 1919 | — | — | 21 | #1,633 |
| 1918 | — | — | 40 | #1,080 |
| 1917 | — | — | 36 | #1,115 |
| 1916 | — | — | 49 | #895 |
| 1915 | — | — | 49 | #880 |
| 1914 | — | — | 25 | #1,157 |
| 1913 | — | — | 21 | #1,114 |
| 1912 | — | — | 27 | #857 |
| 1911 | — | — | 11 | #1,043 |
| 1910 | — | — | 12 | #935 |
| 1909 | — | — | 8 | #1,088 |
| 1908 | — | — | 6 | #1,230 |
| 1907 | — | — | 11 | #821 |
| 1906 | — | — | 12 | #711 |
| 1905 | — | — | 8 | #930 |
| 1904 | — | — | 6 | #1,074 |
| 1903 | — | — | 10 | #737 |
| 1902 | — | — | 8 | #868 |
| 1901 | — | — | 6 | #959 |
| 1900 | — | — | 11 | #788 |
| 1899 | — | — | 14 | #522 |
| 1898 | — | — | 20 | #453 |
| 1897 | — | — | 17 | #477 |
| 1896 | — | — | 15 | #536 |
| 1895 | — | — | 20 | #438 |
| 1894 | — | — | 10 | #677 |
| 1893 | — | — | 23 | #371 |
| 1892 | — | — | 13 | #573 |
| 1891 | — | — | 17 | #429 |
| 1890 | — | — | 16 | #462 |
| 1889 | — | — | 18 | #434 |
| 1888 | — | — | 16 | #484 |
| 1887 | — | — | 18 | #394 |
| 1886 | — | — | 25 | #337 |
| 1885 | — | — | 16 | #464 |
| 1884 | — | — | 16 | #470 |
| 1883 | — | — | 12 | #530 |
| 1882 | — | — | 12 | #540 |
| 1881 | — | — | 14 | #463 |
| 1880 | — | — | 16 | #442 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).