Axel

maleStatistical record

What official birth registration shows about Axel: which national registrars published it, in which years, and how its recorded position changed.

No researched meaning or origin yet — what that means.

Pronunciation

Community-contributed pronunciation recording

Recording by Jeuwre. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source

VerifiedSource: Wikidata.Confidence: medium.

Axel: Recorded every year since 1947, it reached #87 in 2020, and it stood at #126 in 2025.

6registrars recorded it
137times a registrar ranked it
79years from first to last
#87highest recorded position
19groupings it qualifies for

What stands out in Axel's record

Ranked every year since 1947, without a single year missing. Names by continuity of record
Moved 139 places between two consecutive years — its largest recorded change. Names by largest single-year move

Region

Rising

among boys in England and Wales · 1996–2025

View as table

England and Wales · Boys rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#898
1997	#914
1998	#850
1999	#1130
2000	#1167
2001	#947
2002	#907
2003	#1248
2004	#1347
2005	#919
2006	#748
2007	#1053
2008	#867
2009	#944
2010	#706
2011	#759
2012	#634
2013	#632
2014	#457
2015	#363
2016	#362
2017	#303
2018	#244
2019	#228
2020	#168
2021	#138
2022	#100
2023	#109
2024	#129
2025	#147

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

RisingEngland and Wales · Boys

Recorded in official data among boys in Norway in every year from 1947 to 2025.

In 2025: #126 among boys in Norway, #147 among boys in England and Wales, #252 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Official data from 6 national registrars across 6 regions, 1947–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

Popularity journey

First recorded1947
First recorded at #332 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #147 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys

Axel appears in 4 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is Norway · Boys, which has ranked it in 79 years beginning in 1947, and has registered 2,281 births with the name.

Axel across 4 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Axel's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
Norway · Boys	#332 (1947)	#96 (2015)	#126 (2025)	79 of 79	2,281 (1947–2025)	85 (2015)
England and Wales · Boys	#898 (1996)	#100 (2022)	#147 (2025)	30 of 30	3,942 (1996–2025)	547 (2022)
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#493 (2006)	#198 (2023)	#252 (2025)	18 of 20	202 (2006–2025)	25 (2023)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#279 (2017)	#132 (2023)	#278 (2024)	8 of 8	72 (2017–2024)	18 (2023)

Axel by decade in Norway · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Axel in Norway · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1940s	20	3 of 10	7
1950s	79	10 of 10	8
1960s	119	10 of 10	12
1970s	128	10 of 10	13
1980s	184	10 of 10	18
1990s	319	10 of 10	32
2000s	459	10 of 10	46
2010sbusiest	653	10 of 10	65
2020s	320	6 of 10	53

Across Norway · Boys, the 2010s were its busiest decade, averaging 65 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 2014 and 2015, when recorded births rose by 33, from 52 to 85.

See the names Norwayhas recorded the most births with →

Axel appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

Popularity data

Official popularity data is available for 6 regions, from 1947 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #87 in New South Wales, Australia in 2020.

Axel's recorded popularity observations by year, region and administrative category, including rank, registered births, source confidence and when each region's data was last reviewed.
Year	Region	Category	Rank	Births registered	Confidence	Status
2025	England and Wales	male	#147	363	High	Verified
2024	England and Wales	male	#129	431	High	Verified
2023	England and Wales	male	#109	475	High	Verified
2022	England and Wales	male	#100	547	High	Verified
2021	England and Wales	male	#138	411	High	Verified
2020	England and Wales	male	#168	311	High	Verified
2019	England and Wales	male	#228	221	High	Verified
2018	England and Wales	male	#244	213	High	Verified
2017	England and Wales	male	#303	165	High	Verified
2016	England and Wales	male	#362	128	High	Verified
2015	England and Wales	male	#363	122	High	Verified
2014	England and Wales	male	#457	86	High	Verified
2013	England and Wales	male	#632	54	High	Verified
2012	England and Wales	male	#634	55	High	Verified
2011	England and Wales	male	#759	41	High	Verified
2010	England and Wales	male	#706	43	High	Verified
2009	England and Wales	male	#944	28	High	Verified
2008	England and Wales	male	#867	31	High	Verified
2007	England and Wales	male	#1053	23	High	Verified
2006	England and Wales	male	#748	34	High	Verified
2005	England and Wales	male	#919	24	High	Verified
2004	England and Wales	male	#1347	13	High	Verified
2003	England and Wales	male	#1248	13	High	Verified
2002	England and Wales	male	#907	19	High	Verified
2001	England and Wales	male	#947	17	High	Verified
2000	England and Wales	male	#1167	12	High	Verified
1999	England and Wales	male	#1130	12	High	Verified
1998	England and Wales	male	#850	18	High	Verified
1997	England and Wales	male	#914	16	High	Verified
1996	England and Wales	male	#898	16	High	Verified
2020	New South Wales, Australia	male	#87	103	Insufficient	Not yet available
2024	Northern Ireland	male	#278	6	High	Verified
2023	Northern Ireland	male	#132	18	High	Verified
2022	Northern Ireland	male	#154	15	High	Verified
2021	Northern Ireland	male	#200	11	High	Verified
2020	Northern Ireland	male	#392	3	High	Verified
2019	Northern Ireland	male	#312	5	High	Verified
2018	Northern Ireland	male	#234	8	High	Verified
2017	Northern Ireland	male	#279	6	High	Verified
2025	Norway	male	#126	46	High	Verified
2024	Norway	male	#121	46	High	Verified
2023	Norway	male	#99	66	High	Verified
2022	Norway	male	#105	57	High	Verified
2021	Norway	male	#111	54	High	Verified
2020	Norway	male	#109	51	High	Verified
2019	Norway	male	#114	57	High	Verified
2018	Norway	male	#106	64	High	Verified
2017	Norway	male	#112	62	High	Verified
2016	Norway	male	#101	72	High	Verified
2015	Norway	male	#96	85	High	Verified
2014	Norway	male	#134	52	High	Verified
2013	Norway	male	#109	67	High	Verified
2012	Norway	male	#113	66	High	Verified
2011	Norway	male	#118	66	High	Verified
2010	Norway	male	#124	62	High	Verified
2009	Norway	male	#123	62	High	Verified
2008	Norway	male	#152	44	High	Verified
2007	Norway	male	#130	55	High	Verified
2006	Norway	male	#138	52	High	Verified
2005	Norway	male	#163	39	High	Verified
2004	Norway	male	#144	47	High	Verified
2003	Norway	male	#147	43	High	Verified
2002	Norway	male	#184	29	High	Verified
2001	Norway	male	#148	44	High	Verified
2000	Norway	male	#156	44	High	Verified
1999	Norway	male	#192	29	High	Verified
1998	Norway	male	#148	45	High	Verified
1997	Norway	male	#191	30	High	Verified
1996	Norway	male	#159	41	High	Verified
1995	Norway	male	#213	26	High	Verified
1994	Norway	male	#198	31	High	Verified
1993	Norway	male	#221	27	High	Verified
1992	Norway	male	#217	29	High	Verified
1991	Norway	male	#212	30	High	Verified
1990	Norway	male	#198	31	High	Verified
1989	Norway	male	#229	26	High	Verified
1988	Norway	male	#218	26	High	Verified
1987	Norway	male	#268	18	High	Verified
1986	Norway	male	#238	24	High	Verified
1985	Norway	male	#307	15	High	Verified
1984	Norway	male	#295	17	High	Verified
1983	Norway	male	#314	15	High	Verified
1982	Norway	male	#269	19	High	Verified
1981	Norway	male	#324	13	High	Verified
1980	Norway	male	#376	11	High	Verified
1979	Norway	male	#319	14	High	Verified
1978	Norway	male	#309	14	High	Verified
1977	Norway	male	#351	12	High	Verified
1976	Norway	male	#416	9	High	Verified
1975	Norway	male	#391	10	High	Verified
1974	Norway	male	#283	16	High	Verified
1973	Norway	male	#377	10	High	Verified
1972	Norway	male	#307	14	High	Verified
1971	Norway	male	#300	14	High	Verified
1970	Norway	male	#287	15	High	Verified
1969	Norway	male	#240	19	High	Verified
1968	Norway	male	#244	17	High	Verified
1967	Norway	male	#383	8	High	Verified
1966	Norway	male	#275	14	High	Verified
1965	Norway	male	#276	14	High	Verified
1964	Norway	male	#264	14	High	Verified
1963	Norway	male	#339	9	High	Verified
1962	Norway	male	#374	7	High	Verified
1961	Norway	male	#302	10	High	Verified
1960	Norway	male	#373	7	High	Verified
1959	Norway	male	#325	8	High	Verified
1958	Norway	male	#408	5	High	Verified
1957	Norway	male	#343	7	High	Verified
1956	Norway	male	#335	7	High	Verified
1955	Norway	male	#295	8	High	Verified
1954	Norway	male	#319	7	High	Verified
1953	Norway	male	#356	5	High	Verified
1952	Norway	male	#275	9	High	Verified
1951	Norway	male	#217	15	High	Verified
1950	Norway	male	#288	8	High	Verified
1949	Norway	male	#315	6	High	Verified
1948	Norway	male	#289	8	High	Verified
1947	Norway	male	#332	6	High	Verified
2025	Republic of Ireland	male	#252	18	High	Verified
2024	Republic of Ireland	male	#240	18	High	Verified
2023	Republic of Ireland	male	#198	25	High	Verified
2022	Republic of Ireland	male	#251	19	High	Verified
2021	Republic of Ireland	male	#232	21	High	Verified
2020	Republic of Ireland	male	#211	23	High	Verified
2019	Republic of Ireland	male	#402	9	High	Verified
2018	Republic of Ireland	male	#329	12	High	Verified
2017	Republic of Ireland	male	#374	10	High	Verified
2016	Republic of Ireland	male	#448	7	High	Verified
2015	Republic of Ireland	male	#376	10	High	Verified
2014	Republic of Ireland	male	#609	4	High	Verified
2013	Republic of Ireland	male	#479	6	High	Verified
2012	Republic of Ireland	male	#616	4	High	Verified
2011	Republic of Ireland	male	#623	4	High	Verified
2008	Republic of Ireland	male	#529	5	High	Verified
2007	Republic of Ireland	male	#629	3	High	Verified
2006	Republic of Ireland	male	#493	4	High	Verified
2024	Scotland	male	#130	37	High	Verified

England and Wales hub — collected by Office for National Statistics
New South Wales, Australia hub — collected by NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages
Northern Ireland hub — collected by NISRA
Norway hub — collected by Statistics Norway (SSB)
Republic of Ireland hub — collected by CSO Ireland
Scotland hub — collected by National Records of Scotland

See methodology and data sources for how popularity data is collected and what "confidence" means.

Where Axel is officially recorded

6 official registrars have recorded Axel, between 1947 and 2025. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
Norway	1947–2025	79	#96 in 2015
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#100 in 2022
Republic of Ireland	2006–2025	18	#198 in 2023
Northern Ireland	2017–2024	8	#132 in 2023
New South Wales, Australia	2020	1	#87 in 2020
Scotland	2024	1	#130 in 2024

What the record shows

Recorded by 6 registrars between 1947 and 2025, ranked in 79 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #87, first reached in 2020.

It held a top-100 place in 4 years, 2 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 547 births, registered in England and Wales in 2022.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 77 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Awo · #2436, 13y
Aws · #1879, 13y
Axl · #415, 24y
Axton · #1162, 12y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 6 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Valentina · #85, 77y
Carlos · #83, 76y
Ivan · #83, 80y
Zahra · #94, 75y

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1940 and 1949.

Oddny · #87, 39y
Solbjørg · #87, 44y
Birgitte · #86, 69y
Karla · #88, 53y

Axel was ranked #87 in New South Wales, Australia · Boys in 2020. These are the names immediately either side of it on that published list — a fact about the registrar's own output, not a similarity judgement.

Theo#86
Asher#87
Jake#87
Leon#87
Caleb#91
Ryder#91
Dylan#93
Ari#94

Axel and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Axel without appearing here.

Axel moved ahead of

Geoffrey
In 2004 they stood at #1347 and #1160 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2005 that had become #919 and #1851.
Derek
In 2007 they stood at #1053 and #1053 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2008 that had become #867 and #1596.
Barry
In 2004 they stood at #1347 and #815 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2005 that had become #919 and #1617.
Ashleigh
In 2000 they stood at #1167 and #881 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2001 that had become #947 and #1595.

Moved ahead of Axel

Hudson
In 2006 they stood at #748 and #885 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2007 that had become #1053 and #538.
Ezra
In 2015 they stood at #376 and #459 in Republic of Ireland · Boys; by 2016 that had become #448 and #237.
Markus
In 1974 they stood at #283 and #322 in Norway · Boys; by 1975 that had become #391 and #218.
Roman
In 2023 they stood at #132 and #161 in Northern Ireland · Boys; by 2024 that had become #278 and #108.

Moved the opposite way to Axel

Arild
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Axel went from #332 to #126 while Arild went from #27 to #489.
Arne
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Axel went from #332 to #126 while Arne went from #6 to #222.
Bjørn
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Axel went from #332 to #126 while Bjørn went from #3 to #56.
Dag
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Axel went from #332 to #126 while Dag went from #46 to #426.

Moved the same way as Axel

Colin
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Axel went from #332 to #126 and Colin from #349 to #119.
Daniel
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Axel went from #332 to #126 and Daniel from #314 to #66.
David
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Axel went from #332 to #126 and David from #155 to #88.
Emil
Between 1947 and 2025 in Norway · Boys, Axel went from #332 to #126 and Emil from #208 to #2.

What's not yet available

Meaning
Origin
Nicknames and spelling variants

Absence from this list does not mean the name isn't genuinely meaningful or widely used — only that Namewise hasn't sourced and reviewed that content yet. Absence from a specific year or geography above does not prove zero use there either; official statistics only publish names above a minimum threshold.

Official popularity data is available for 6 regions, from 1947 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #87 in New South Wales, Australia in 2020. Source data last verified 2026-07-21.

Axel

Pronunciation

Axel at a glance

What stands out in Axel's record

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Axel across 4 official records

Axel by decade in Norway · Boys

Axel appears in

Popularity data

Where Axel is officially recorded

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Names published alongside Axel

Axel and the names beside it

Axel moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Axel

Moved the opposite way to Axel

Moved the same way as Axel

Axel at a glance

What stands out in Axel's record

Axel across 4 official records

Axel by decade in Norway · Boys

Axel appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1940s

Names published alongside Axel

Axel and the names beside it

Axel moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Axel

Moved the opposite way to Axel

Moved the same way as Axel