UK boy's name
Aksel
A Scandinavian masculine name derived from an ancient Norse root meaning "father of peace".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Aksel is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Aksel popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1132, with 25 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 25 births.
This profile covers 230 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 2006 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Aksel is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 232 living people in the UK are called Aksel. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Aksel ranked #1132 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 25 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 25 boys were registered as Aksel.
- • Aksel ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
- • About 232 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aksel as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1132
2024
Births in 2024
25
Latest year
Peak year
2024
25 births
Estimated living
232
2026
Meaning
What does Aksel mean?
The name Aksel has its origins in the Old Norse language, tracing back to the medieval period in Scandinavia. It is derived from the Old Norse name Áskell, which combines the elements "áss" meaning "god" and "ketill" meaning "cauldron" or "helmet." The name's meaning is often interpreted as "God's helmet" or "God's cauldron," reflecting the Norse mythology and the importance of protective headgear in Viking culture.
In the 10th century, the name Aksel appeared in Icelandic sagas and historical records, indicating its early usage among the Norse people. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Áskell Eiríksson, a chieftain and lawspeaker in Iceland during the 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Aksel was particularly popular in Scandinavian countries, with numerous historical figures bearing this name. One notable example is Aksel Throndsson (1130-1193), a Norwegian nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the civil wars of Norway during the 12th century.
In the 16th century, the name Aksel gained popularity in Denmark, where it was recorded in various official documents and records. One notable figure was Aksel Gyldenløve (1605-1676), a Danish nobleman and military commander who served as the Governor-General of Norway.
As the name spread across Europe, it took on different spellings and variations in different languages. In Germany, the name was adapted as Axel, while in France it became Achille, both derived from the same Old Norse roots.
Other historical figures with the name Aksel include Aksel Larsen (1870-1957), a Norwegian shipping magnate and one of the wealthiest individuals in Norway during the early 20th century, and Aksel Sandemose (1899-1965), a Danish-Norwegian novelist and playwright known for his critical portrayal of small-town life in Norway.
Despite its Scandinavian origins, the name Aksel has been adopted and used in various cultural contexts, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields, including literature, business, and military leadership.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Aksel over time
The chart below shows babies named Aksel registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2006 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Aksel, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 25 births in 2024, compared with 25 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aksel by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aksel was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1364 | 97 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2190 | 115 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3409 | 18 | 4 |
Geography
Where Aksel is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Aksel. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Aksel ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #704 in 2018.
Across the UK
Aksel in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#704 in 2018
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Aksel
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Aksel: questions and answers
How popular is the name Aksel in the UK right now?
In 2024, Aksel was ranked #1132 for boys in England and Wales, with 25 births registered.
When was Aksel most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 25 babies registered as Aksel in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Aksel?
A Scandinavian masculine name derived from an ancient Norse root meaning "father of peace".
How many people are called Aksel in the UK?
A total of 230 babies have been registered as Aksel across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Aksel most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Aksel ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #704 in 2018. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.