diff --git a/examples/add_images_with_axis_labels.py b/examples/add_images_with_axis_labels.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d18bd814cd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/add_images_with_axis_labels.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import numpy as np
+
+import napari
+
+viewer = napari.Viewer()
+viewer.axes.visible = True
+
+print(f'{viewer.axis_labels=}')  # -> ()
+
+image = viewer.add_image(
+    np.ones((5, 3, 2)),
+    axis_labels=("time", "y", "x"),
+    colormap='red',
+)
+print(f'{viewer.axis_labels=}')  # -> ("time", "y", "x")
+
+image = viewer.add_image(
+    np.ones((4, 3, 2)),
+    axis_labels=("z", "y", "x"),
+    colormap='green',
+)
+print(f'{viewer.axis_labels=}')  # -> ("z", "time", "y", "x")
+
+image = viewer.add_image(
+    np.ones((6, 4, 3, 2)),
+    axis_labels=["freq", "z", "y", "x"],
+    colormap='blue',
+)
+print(f'{viewer.axis_labels=}')  # -> ("freq", "z", "time", "y", "x")
+
+#napari.run()
diff --git a/napari/components/layerlist.py b/napari/components/layerlist.py
index ef777e4fa19..6e2ae36e7c5 100644
--- a/napari/components/layerlist.py
+++ b/napari/components/layerlist.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import itertools
 import warnings
 from collections import namedtuple
-from functools import cached_property
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Iterable, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
+from functools import cached_property, reduce
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Iterable, List, Optional, Set, Tuple, Union
 
 import numpy as np
 
@@ -474,3 +474,8 @@ def save(
             return []
 
         return save_layers(path, layers, plugin=plugin, _writer=_writer)
+
+    @property
+    def axis_labels(self) -> Set[Optional[str]]:
+        layer_labels = (layer.axis_labels for layer in self.layers)
+        return reduce(set.union, layer_labels, set())
diff --git a/napari/components/viewer_model.py b/napari/components/viewer_model.py
index d385eb27015..c95de18f276 100644
--- a/napari/components/viewer_model.py
+++ b/napari/components/viewer_model.py
@@ -129,8 +129,6 @@ class ViewerModel(KeymapProvider, MousemapProvider, EventedModel):
         Order in which dimensions are displayed where the last two or last
         three dimensions correspond to row x column or plane x row x column if
         ndisplay is 2 or 3.
-    axis_labels : list of str
-        Dimension names.
 
     Attributes
     ----------
@@ -140,6 +138,8 @@ class ViewerModel(KeymapProvider, MousemapProvider, EventedModel):
         List of contained layers.
     dims : Dimensions
         Contains axes, indices, dimensions and sliders.
+    axis_labels : tuple of strings
+        Dimension names.
     """
 
     # Using allow_mutation=False means these attributes aren't settable and don't
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ class ViewerModel(KeymapProvider, MousemapProvider, EventedModel):
     # different events systems
     mouse_over_canvas: bool = False
 
+    axis_labels: Tuple[str, ...] = ()
+
     # Need to use default factory because slicer is not copyable which
     # is required for default values.
     _layer_slicer: _LayerSlicer = PrivateAttr(default_factory=_LayerSlicer)
@@ -549,6 +551,14 @@ def _on_add_layer(self, event):
         # Update dims and grid model
         self._on_layers_change()
         self._on_grid_change()
+
+        # Prepend new axis labels from layer
+        new_labels = []
+        for axis in layer.axis_labels:
+            if axis and axis not in self.axis_labels:
+                new_labels.append(axis)
+        self.axis_labels = tuple(new_labels) + self.axis_labels
+
         # Slice current layer based on dims
         self._update_layers(layers=[layer])
 
@@ -613,6 +623,13 @@ def _on_remove_layer(self, event):
         """
         layer = event.value
 
+        all_labels = self.layers.axis_labels
+        new_labels = list(self.axis_labels)
+        for axis in layer.axis_labels:
+            if axis not in all_labels:
+                new_labels.remove(axis)
+        self.axis_labels = new_labels
+
         # Disconnect all connections from layer
         disconnect_events(layer.events, self)
         disconnect_events(layer.events, self.layers)
@@ -671,6 +688,7 @@ def add_image(
         plane=None,
         experimental_clipping_planes=None,
         custom_interpolation_kernel_2d=None,
+        axis_labels: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None,
     ) -> Union[Image, List[Image]]:
         """Add an image layer to the layer list.
 
@@ -848,6 +866,7 @@ def add_image(
             'plane': plane,
             'experimental_clipping_planes': experimental_clipping_planes,
             'custom_interpolation_kernel_2d': custom_interpolation_kernel_2d,
+            'axis_labels': axis_labels,
         }
 
         # these arguments are *already* iterables in the single-channel case.
@@ -861,6 +880,7 @@ def add_image(
             'metadata',
             'experimental_clipping_planes',
             'custom_interpolation_kernel_2d',
+            'axis_labels',
         }
 
         if channel_axis is None:
diff --git a/napari/layers/base/base.py b/napari/layers/base/base.py
index cd3d36dc9d7..2a1ec51501e 100644
--- a/napari/layers/base/base.py
+++ b/napari/layers/base/base.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from collections import defaultdict, namedtuple
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from functools import cached_property
-from typing import List, Optional, Tuple, Union
+from typing import List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple, Union
 
 import magicgui as mgui
 import numpy as np
@@ -115,6 +115,12 @@ class Layer(KeymapProvider, MousemapProvider, ABC):
         Whether the data is multiscale or not. Multiscale data is
         represented by a list of data objects and should go from largest to
         smallest.
+    axis_labels : optional sequence of strings
+        The names of the layer's axes.
+        If the value of this is none, then a tuple of decreasing negative
+        numbers is generated so that axis correspondence can be like numpy
+        broadcasting (i.e. allow prepending but not appending of singular axes)
+        to match array shapes.
 
     Attributes
     ----------
@@ -204,6 +210,8 @@ class Layer(KeymapProvider, MousemapProvider, ABC):
         depends on the current zoom level.
     source : Source
         source of the layer (such as a plugin or widget)
+    axis_labels : tuple of strings
+        The names of the layer's axes.
 
     Notes
     -----
@@ -253,6 +261,7 @@ def __init__(
         cache=True,  # this should move to future "data source" object.
         experimental_clipping_planes=None,
         mode='pan_zoom',
+        axis_labels: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None,
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__()
 
@@ -292,6 +301,10 @@ def __init__(
 
         self._ndim = ndim
 
+        self._axis_labels: Optional[
+            Tuple[str, ...]
+        ] = self._coerce_axis_labels(axis_labels)
+
         self._slice_input = _SliceInput(
             ndisplay=2,
             point=(0,) * ndim,
@@ -407,6 +420,25 @@ def __init__(
         #       until we figure out nested evented objects
         self._overlays.events.connect(self.events._overlays)
 
+    @property
+    def axis_labels(self) -> Tuple[str, ...]:
+        return self._axis_labels
+
+    @axis_labels.setter
+    def axis_labels(self, axis_labels: Optional[Sequence[str]]) -> None:
+        self._axis_labels = self._coerce_axis_labels(axis_labels)
+
+    def _coerce_axis_labels(
+        self, axis_labels: Optional[Sequence[str]]
+    ) -> Tuple[Optional[str], ...]:
+        if axis_labels is None:
+            return (None,) * self.ndim
+        if len(axis_labels) != self.ndim:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "The number of axis labels ({len(axis_labels)}) must match the number of dimensions ({self.ndim})."
+            )
+        return tuple(axis_labels)
+
     def __str__(self):
         """Return self.name."""
         return self.name
@@ -843,6 +875,7 @@ def _get_base_state(self):
             'experimental_clipping_planes': [
                 plane.dict() for plane in self.experimental_clipping_planes
             ],
+            'axis_labels': self.axis_labels,
         }
         return base_dict
 
diff --git a/napari/layers/image/image.py b/napari/layers/image/image.py
index c6c2ae36767..a29a1427dd4 100644
--- a/napari/layers/image/image.py
+++ b/napari/layers/image/image.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import types
 import warnings
 from contextlib import nullcontext
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, List, Sequence, Tuple, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple, Union
 
 import numpy as np
 from scipy import ndimage as ndi
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ def __init__(
         plane=None,
         experimental_clipping_planes=None,
         custom_interpolation_kernel_2d=None,
+        axis_labels: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None,
     ) -> None:
         if name is None and data is not None:
             name = magic_name(data)
@@ -308,6 +309,7 @@ def __init__(
             multiscale=multiscale,
             cache=cache,
             experimental_clipping_planes=experimental_clipping_planes,
+            axis_labels=axis_labels,
         )
 
         self.events.add(
diff --git a/napari/view_layers.py b/napari/view_layers.py
index c3994b3948c..330887b3ec3 100644
--- a/napari/view_layers.py
+++ b/napari/view_layers.py
@@ -94,7 +94,11 @@ def _merge_layer_viewer_sigs_docs(func):
 
     # merge the signatures of Viewer and viewer.add_*
     func.__signature__ = _combine_signatures(
-        add_method, Viewer, return_annotation=Viewer, exclude=('self',)
+        # hack to get around duplicate param name
+        add_method,
+        Viewer,
+        return_annotation=Viewer,
+        exclude=('self', 'axis_labels'),
     )
 
     # merge the __annotations__