Ax
A masculine name derived from the Old Norse word meaning "axe".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Ax. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ax today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ax births was 2019 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ax. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ax. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2019
5 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,341
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Ax: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ax by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ax during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ax
The name Ax finds its linguistic origins in the Old English word "æx", which literally translates to "axe" or a type of edged tool used for cutting and chopping. This word can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic "akwiz", which in turn derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "ak-" meaning "sharp" or "pointed".
In Anglo-Saxon England, the name Ax was likely used as a descriptive nickname or byname for someone who wielded an axe with great skill, such as a lumberjack or a warrior. It could also have been bestowed upon an individual with a strong, imposing presence, likening them to the strength and power associated with the axe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ax can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions an individual named "Ax" who held land in the county of Gloucestershire.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Ax remained relatively uncommon, but it continued to appear in various historical records and chronicles. One notable bearer of the name was Ax the Red, a Danish chieftain who led a series of raids along the English coast in the late 10th century.
In more recent history, Ax has been used as a given name in various parts of Europe, particularly in Scandinavian countries and Germany. Some notable individuals who have borne the name include:
1. Ax Witzansky (1917-2002), a Swedish film director and screenwriter known for his work in the 1950s and 1960s.
2. Ax Hagemann (1929-2017), a German artist and sculptor known for his abstract and minimalist works.
3. Ax Monfort (1904-1987), a Dutch painter and illustrator who was active in the early 20th century.
4. Ax Attinger (1909-1989), a Swiss architect and urban planner who worked extensively in Geneva and other parts of Switzerland.
5. Ax Fredholm (1919-2008), a Swedish mathematician and academic known for his contributions to the field of functional analysis.
While the name Ax has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, its unique and powerful sound has endured, carrying with it the essence of strength, sharpness, and a connection to the tools and weapons that played a vital role in the lives of ancient peoples.
People
Ax + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ax as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ax: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ax?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ax going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Ax a common name?
We classify Ax as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ax most popular?
The single biggest year for Ax was 2019, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ax is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ax in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ax a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ax in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ax still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ax in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ax can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Ax?
You can see how many people have the name Ax on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.