Axel is a familiar boys' name that peaked in 2020 and remains in steady use.
Axel is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #79 among boys (4,140) and #11,077 among girls (8) — overall #133 across all names. The charts below show girls and boys separately.
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,148 | 4,156 | #11,077 | #79 |
| 2024 | 4,263 | 4,271 | #11,256 | #78 |
| 2023 | 4,535 | 4,548 | #8,553 | #71 |
| 2022 | 4,365 | 4,386 | #7,326 | #76 |
| 2021 | 4,553 | 4,572 | #8,091 | #76 |
| 2020 | 4,675 | 4,693 | #11,237 | #72 |
| 2019 | 4,513 | 4,532 | #11,510 | #84 |
| 2018 | 4,082 | 4,109 | #11,557 | #94 |
| 2017 | 3,807 | 3,833 | #6,578 | #104 |
| 2016 | 3,477 | 3,514 | #10,207 | #116 |
| 2015 | 3,261 | 3,297 | #9,027 | #123 |
| 2014 | 2,816 | 2,863 | #10,242 | #145 |
| 2013 | 2,433 | 2,491 | #16,919 | #168 |
| 2012 | 2,482 | 2,519 | — | #162 |
| 2011 | 3,046 | 3,097 | #10,502 | #137 |
| 2010 | 1,980 | 2,040 | #13,663 | #187 |
| 2009 | 1,330 | 1,386 | #10,071 | #264 |
| 2008 | 1,265 | 1,330 | #12,740 | #272 |
| 2007 | 1,207 | 1,283 | #10,223 | #288 |
| 2006 | 1,132 | 1,205 | — | #296 |
| 2005 | 1,056 | 1,157 | #11,043 | #314 |
| 2004 | 943 | 1,031 | #16,443 | #325 |
| 2003 | 809 | 879 | — | #346 |
| 2002 | 918 | 1,009 | #11,273 | #314 |
| 2001 | 1,279 | 1,395 | #15,664 | #258 |
| 2000 | 731 | 874 | — | #361 |
| 1999 | 191 | 287 | — | #799 |
| 1998 | 192 | 300 | — | #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 |