Axel
Axel is a boys' name of Norse origin meaning “father of peace.” It ranked #53 in the United States in 2025. A Scandinavian and German form of the Hebrew name Absalom, meaning 'father of peace.
how do you pronounce Axel?
AK-sel
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Axel mean?
The name Axel means “father of peace.” It comes from the Norse language tradition.
A Scandinavian and German form of the Hebrew name Absalom, meaning 'father of peace.' It has been popular in Nordic countries for centuries and gained international recognition through Axl Rose, lead singer of Guns N' Roses, though his spelling differs.
where does the name Axel come from?
A Scandinavian form of the Hebrew Absalom, from Avshalom, joining av, meaning father, with shalom, meaning peace. Danish and Swedish speech compressed the longer biblical name into two syllables.
the history of Axel
The biblical Absalom is David's son, who rebels against his father and dies caught by his hair in an oak — a story that made the full name rare while its Scandinavian contraction flourished. Axel has been common in Denmark and Sweden for centuries, and rose sharply in the United States from the 1990s.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #53 |
| 2023 | #57 |
| 2022 | #60 |
| 2021 | #63 |
| 2020 | #68 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Axel?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Axel?
- Axl Rose (musician)
- Axel Springer (media mogul)
- Axel Witsel (footballer)
what names are similar to Axel?
what names go well with Axel?
Sibling names that share Axel's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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