# Axel (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/axel/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Norse |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 670 |
| US rank (2010) | 33,941 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 460,814 people |
| Change since 2000 | +6.2% (631 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæk.səl/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Danish Aksel, first used for the bishop and statesman Absalon Hvide (1128–1201), from biblical Absalom. Some sources suggest that the bishop was originally named Áskell, from Old Norse "god" + "cauldron, helmet", and Absalon was chosen as the nearest-sounding Christian equivalent, leading to the exchange of the middle consonants.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Axel in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 69% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 23% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.8% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Axel in the United States.

## People named Axel

- Richard Axel, American molecular biologist
- Curtis Axel, American professional wrestler

## Similar surnames

Ashley, Ackley, Aguila, Agcaoili, Agolli, Akeley.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.