Payton
Payton is a given name in use in English speaking countries. One source indicates the name comes from a surname derived from a place name meaning "Pœga's town" in Old English. Another source indicates the name means "fighting man's estate".
Meaning & Origin of Payton
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Payton is a given name in use in English speaking countries. One source indicates the name comes from a surname derived from a place name meaning "Pœga's town" in Old English. Another source indicates the name means "fighting man's estate".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Payton
As a girl name
Payton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1966, with 18 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2009, when 3,646 Paytons were born — ranking #84 that year. As of 2026, Payton ranks #415 for girls with 741 births, falling sharply (-36%). In total, more than 61K Paytons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Payton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 1,581 Paytons were born — ranking #219 that year. As of 2026, Payton ranks #1,684 for boys with 101 births, falling sharply (-43%). In total, more than 25K Paytons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Payton
Phonetically similar names — useful when Payton is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Payton
What does the name Payton mean?
How popular is Payton in 2026?
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About the name Payton
Payton is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1966 and has accumulated 61K births in the dataset. Payton's peak popularity came in 2009 when it ranked #79. Use the chart and map above to compare Payton's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2009 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "P" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.