Boy · #7,588 in 2026

Payne

Name: Popularity of the name Payne in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Payne, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

The English family name Payne originates in France as a variation of the name Payen. The name was brought to the British Isles as a result of the Norman Conquest of England, and is now common in English-speaking countries. Hugues de Payens from the town of Payns near Troyes moved to London in 1128 to set up a house for the Knights Templar in England.

Current Rank

#7,588

Peak Rank

#1,142 (2000)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

-45%

1994

First Year

2002

Last Year

2002

Peak Year

#13595

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Payne

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Payne

Payne first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1900, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 121 Paynes were born — ranking #1,142 that year. As of 2026, Payne ranks #7,588 for baby boys with 8 births, falling sharply (-45%). In total, more than 1K Paynes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Payne

Phonetically similar names — useful when Payne is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Pain
Pane
Paine
Pagne
Payn
Pen
Pan
Pin
Pine
Pawn
Pun
Pon

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Payne

What does the name Payne mean?

How popular is Payne in 2026?

In 2026, Payne ranks #7,588 among boys' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.

When was Payne most popular?

Payne reached its peak popularity in 2000, ranking #1,142 that year with 121 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Payne most popular?

Payne has historically been most popular in Iowa, Tennessee, Michigan. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Payne.

Is Payne a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Payne is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Payne?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Payne include Santi, Kaycen, Bernell. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Payne

Payne is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1900 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Payne's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #1,142. Use the chart and map above to compare Payne's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.