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
- Peak · boys
- 2023 · 4,523 births
- Debut · boys
- 16 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 8 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 72,459since 1880
Axel over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #10,917 | 8 | #79 | 4,140 |
| 2024 | #11,122 | 8 | #78 | 4,255 |
| 2023 | #8,486 | 12 | #71 | 4,523 |
| 2022 | #7,281 | 15 | #76 | 4,350 |
| 2021 | #8,024 | 13 | #76 | 4,540 |
| 2020 | #11,090 | 8 | #72 | 4,667 |
| 2019 | #11,356 | 8 | #84 | 4,505 |
| 2018 | #11,427 | 8 | #94 | 4,074 |
| 2017 | #6,531 | 18 | #104 | 3,789 |
| 2016 | #10,113 | 10 | #116 | 3,467 |
| 2015 | #8,931 | 12 | #123 | 3,249 |
| 2014 | #10,129 | 10 | #145 | 2,806 |
| 2013 | #16,547 | 5 | #168 | 2,428 |
| 2012 | — | #162 | 2,482 | |
| 2011 | #10,374 | 10 | #137 | 3,036 |
| 2010 | #13,448 | 7 | #187 | 1,973 |
| 2009 | #9,975 | 11 | #264 | 1,319 |
| 2008 | #12,579 | 8 | #272 | 1,257 |
| 2007 | #10,129 | 11 | #288 | 1,196 |
| 2006 | — | #296 | 1,132 | |
| 2005 | #10,921 | 9 | #314 | 1,047 |
| 2004 | #16,099 | 5 | #325 | 938 |
| 2003 | — | #346 | 809 | |
| 2002 | #11,108 | 8 | #314 | 910 |
| 2001 | #15,352 | 5 | #258 | 1,274 |
| 2000 | — | #361 | 731 | |
| 1999 | — | #799 | 191 | |
| 1998 | — | #795 | 192 | |
| 1997 | — | #838 | 171 | |
| 1996 | — | #860 | 161 | |
| 1995 | — | #917 | 145 | |
| 1994 | — | #955 | 133 | |
| 1993 | — | #965 | 124 | |
| 1992 | — | #911 | 135 | |
| 1991 | — | #845 | 151 | |
| 1990 | — | #898 | 131 | |
| 1989 | — | #951 | 115 | |
| 1988 | — | #1,525 | 48 | |
| 1987 | — | #1,467 | 49 | |
| 1986 | — | #1,299 | 56 | |
| 1985 | — | #1,698 | 36 | |
| 1984 | — | #1,606 | 37 | |
| 1983 | — | #1,864 | 29 | |
| 1982 | — | #2,111 | 25 | |
| 1981 | — | #2,086 | 25 | |
| 1980 | — | #2,058 | 26 | |
| 1979 | — | #1,867 | 29 | |
| 1978 | — | #2,279 | 20 | |
| 1977 | — | #2,008 | 24 | |
| 1976 | — | #1,873 | 26 | |
| 1975 | — | #2,450 | 17 | |
| 1974 | — | #2,358 | 17 | |
| 1973 | — | #2,036 | 20 | |
| 1972 | — | #2,323 | 16 | |
| 1971 | — | #2,126 | 19 | |
| 1970 | — | #1,435 | 34 | |
| 1969 | — | #1,440 | 31 | |
| 1968 | — | #1,650 | 23 | |
| 1967 | — | #2,352 | 12 | |
| 1966 | — | #2,132 | 14 | |
| 1965 | — | #2,084 | 15 | |
| 1964 | — | #2,114 | 15 | |
| 1963 | — | #2,300 | 13 | |
| 1962 | — | #2,186 | 14 | |
| 1961 | — | #1,948 | 18 | |
| 1960 | — | #2,315 | 13 | |
| 1959 | — | #1,865 | 19 | |
| 1958 | — | #1,838 | 19 | |
| 1957 | — | — | ||
| 1956 | — | #2,798 | 9 | |
| 1955 | — | #3,505 | 6 | |
| 1954 | — | — | ||
| 1953 | — | — | ||
| 1952 | — | #2,376 | 11 | |
| 1951 | — | #3,066 | 7 | |
| 1950 | — | #2,019 | 14 | |
| 1949 | — | #2,606 | 9 | |
| 1948 | — | #3,668 | 5 | |
| 1947 | — | #2,671 | 9 | |
| 1946 | — | #2,919 | 7 | |
| 1945 | — | #2,574 | 8 | |
| 1944 | — | #2,633 | 8 | |
| 1943 | — | #2,182 | 12 | |
| 1942 | — | #2,523 | 9 | |
| 1941 | — | #2,491 | 9 | |
| 1940 | — | #3,459 | 5 | |
| 1939 | — | #2,609 | 8 | |
| 1938 | — | #3,175 | 6 | |
| 1937 | — | #2,680 | 8 | |
| 1936 | — | #2,184 | 11 | |
| 1935 | — | #1,837 | 15 | |
| 1934 | — | #2,742 | 8 | |
| 1933 | — | — | ||
| 1932 | — | #2,465 | 10 | |
| 1931 | — | #2,864 | 8 | |
| 1930 | — | #1,964 | 15 | |
| 1929 | — | #1,672 | 20 | |
| 1928 | — | #3,697 | 6 | |
| 1927 | — | #1,603 | 23 | |
| 1926 | — | #2,302 | 13 | |
| 1925 | — | #1,246 | 33 | |
| 1924 | — | #1,675 | 22 | |
| 1923 | — | #1,551 | 24 | |
| 1922 | — | #1,591 | 23 | |
| 1921 | — | #1,101 | 41 | |
| 1920 | — | #1,416 | 27 | |
| 1919 | — | #1,624 | 21 | |
| 1918 | — | #1,079 | 40 | |
| 1917 | — | #1,113 | 36 | |
| 1916 | — | #892 | 49 | |
| 1915 | — | #879 | 49 | |
| 1914 | — | #1,153 | 25 | |
| 1913 | — | #1,112 | 21 | |
| 1912 | — | #854 | 27 | |
| 1911 | — | #1,038 | 11 | |
| 1910 | — | #928 | 12 | |
| 1909 | — | #1,083 | 8 | |
| 1908 | — | #1,217 | 6 | |
| 1907 | — | #815 | 11 | |
| 1906 | — | #709 | 12 | |
| 1905 | — | #919 | 8 | |
| 1904 | — | #1,064 | 6 | |
| 1903 | — | #734 | 10 | |
| 1902 | — | #862 | 8 | |
| 1901 | — | #943 | 6 | |
| 1900 | — | #785 | 11 | |
| 1899 | — | #521 | 14 | |
| 1898 | — | #452 | 20 | |
| 1897 | — | #473 | 17 | |
| 1896 | — | #534 | 15 | |
| 1895 | — | #437 | 20 | |
| 1894 | — | #668 | 10 | |
| 1893 | — | #371 | 23 | |
| 1892 | — | #572 | 13 | |
| 1891 | — | #427 | 17 | |
| 1890 | — | #458 | 16 | |
| 1889 | — | #434 | 18 | |
| 1888 | — | #484 | 16 | |
| 1887 | — | #392 | 18 | |
| 1886 | — | #336 | 25 | |
| 1885 | — | #462 | 16 | |
| 1884 | — | #468 | 16 | |
| 1883 | — | #527 | 12 | |
| 1882 | — | #540 | 12 | |
| 1881 | — | #460 | 14 | |
| 1880 | — | #442 | 16 | |
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 1985
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- California#1,243 · 1 in 27,923
Best ever in a state: #29 in Delaware, 2024.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | #1,243 | 8 | 1 in 27,923 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| 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
- 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)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 2023 at #71 (4,523 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 8 yrs · run 2018–2025
- Top 1,000: 68 yrs · run 1989–2025
- 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
- 43.9% of all boys named Axel (31,809) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 163 | #336 (1886) | #455 |
| 1890s | 165 | #371 (1893) | #491 |
| 1900s | 86 | #709 (1906) | #913 |
| 1910s | 291 | #854 (1912) | #1,067 |
| 1920s | 232 | #1,101 (1921) | #1,785 |
| 1930s | 89 | #1,837 (1935) | #2,502 |
| 1940s | 81 | #2,182 (1943) | #2,773 |
| 1950s | 85 | #1,838 (1958) | #2,495 |
| 1960s | 168 | #1,440 (1969) | #2,052 |
| 1970s | 222 | #1,435 (1970) | #2,076 |
| 1980s | 446 | #951 (1989) | #1,667 |
| 1990s | 1,534 | #795 (1998) | #878 |
| 2000s | 10,613 | #258 (2001) | #304 |
| 2010s | 31,809 | #84 (2019) | #132 |
| 2020s | 26,475 | #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 1985
Top boys' names in 1985
More about 1985
boys
1,848,210 boys got a published name in 1985; 1 in 51,339 of them was named Axel, which outranked 77.6% of the 7,586 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
- #1,672Teodoro37
- #1,672Trumaine37
- #1,672Yves37
- #1,698Axel36
- #1,698Angus36
- #1,698Berry36
- #1,698Brantley36
- #1,724Ameer35
- #1,724Arik35
- #1,724Aris35
Tied with 25 names at #1,698; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.