The name Axel comes from the Hebrew name Avshalom, which is derived from the Hebrew elements av, meaning "father," and shalom, meaning "peace." Therefore, it translates to "my father is peace." In the Old Testament, Avshalom was the son of King David. In the U.S., it was largely popularized by Axl Rose, the lead vocalist and lyricist of Guns N' Roses. The name first appeared in the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 in 1989, just as Guns N' Roses was entering its prime. Axel has now been a top 100 baby boy's name every year since 2018 and was given to the sons of multiple celebrities, including Will Ferrell, Seth Meyers, Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney.
