unisex name · in the US
Payton
PAY-ten (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 92,189
the United States
#440
2025 births
Payton means Pæga's farm, from an English place name — and it is 71 percent female on record, having crossed over from an entirely masculine surname within a generation. It peaked in 2008, and holds 86,216 lifetime births.
- Payton is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2008, when 4,852 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,093 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Payton Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 11 |
| 1890s | 10 |
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 118 |
| 1920s | 171 |
| 1930s | 131 |
| 1940s | 148 |
| 1950s | 122 |
| 1960s | 185 |
| 1970s | 246 |
| 1980s | 684 |
| 1990s | 12,019 |
| 2000s | 36,376 |
| 2010s | 27,623 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,935 |
What Payton Means
Payton means the farm of Pæga, an Old English personal name of unknown meaning. The place name records ownership rather than describing any feature of the land.
Where Payton Comes From
Payton is an English place name joining the personal name Pæga to tun, a farmstead or enclosure — so it means Pæga's farm, and Pæga's own name is not recoverable. Peyton and Payton are the same place differently spelled. It was a surname, then a boys' given name in America, then crossed to predominantly female use in the 1990s, which is the same route Ashley, Courtney and Madison took in the same decade.
Payton in Use
Payton peaked in the United States in 2008, when 4,852 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 388th in Scotland on 8 births, 440th in the United States on 705 and 1,817th in England and Wales on 15, across 92,189 lifetime births in four markets. About 71 percent of recorded births are female.
How Popular Is Payton?
In 2025, Payton was given to 810 babies in the United States, ranking #440 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Payton Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Payton
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Payton Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Payton over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Payton is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 87% girls · 14,223 babies
- Canada Girls' 94% girls · 1,332 babies
- England & Wales Both 88% girls · 442 babies
- Scotland Girls' 100% girls · 144 babies
How to Say Payton
- English PAY-ten /ˈpeɪ.tən/
Payton in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Payton
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Payton — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Payton
What does the name Payton mean?
Pæga's farm — an Old English personal name joined to tun, a farmstead.
Is it Payton or Peyton?
The same place name, differently spelled. Both are in wide use.
Is Payton a girls' name?
For about 71 percent of recorded births, having crossed over in the 1990s.
How popular is Payton?
440th in the United States, down from a 2008 peak of 4,852 births.
How many syllables are in Payton?
Payton has 2 syllables.
Is Payton a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Payton currently ranks #388 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.