Payton Unisex

Popularity: #403 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: PAY-ton //ˈpeɪ.tən//

Origin: Irish; English

Meaning: Irish: warrior's village; English: from the warrior's estate

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Payton has its roots in Old English, derived from the elements "pæga," meaning "fighting man," and "tun," which translates to "town" or "settlement." This etymological background suggests a meaning akin to "warrior's town" or "from the warrior's estate." The name evolved through various forms, including the Old English "Pægtun," before being adopted into Middle English as "Payton." It eventually made its way into modern English usage, where it has been used as both a surname and a given name. Historically, the name Payton can be traced back to the medieval period, with its usage documented in England during the 12th century.

The name was often associated with various locations in England, notably in the regions of Devon and Somerset, where place names derived from the Old English roots were common. The surname Payton became more prominent in the 16th and 17th centuries, with notable figures bearing the name appearing in historical records, including landowners and local gentry.

Culturally, the name Payton has been linked to notions of strength and resilience, reflecting its warrior-like connotations. In literature and folklore, names associated with battle or strength often carried a sense of honor and valor, contributing to their endurance through generations.

The name has also seen variations and diminutives, such as "Peyton," which have been used interchangeably in various contexts. Overall, Payton embodies a rich historical and cultural significance, rooted in its linguistic origins and the societal values of strength and community.

Famous people named Payton

In this section, you will find notable people named Payton. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Payton who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Payton who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Payton Manning is a former professional American football quarterback best known for his time with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, and for winning two Super Bowls.

Payton Pritchard is a professional basketball player best known for playing with the Boston Celtics and for his collegiate career at the University of Oregon.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Payton, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

PeytonMadisonTaylorJordanAveryMorgan

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Payton. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

PaigePiperPeytonPayneParkerPaxtonPayge

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Payton was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Payton has ranked as high as #152 nationally, which occurred in 2008, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Illinois, Ohio, and Florida.

In the past 5 years the name Payton has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Payton is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Payton was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Payton.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 810 109 701
2024 940 117 823
2023 1,111 120 991
2022 1,243 144 1,099
2021 1,322 154 1,168
2020 1,509 176 1,333
2019 1,602 179 1,423
2018 1,665 237 1,428
2017 1,938 288 1,650
2016 2,083 281 1,802
2015 2,482 365 2,117
2014 2,826 410 2,416
2013 3,130 510 2,620
2012 3,544 598 2,946
2011 3,873 720 3,153
2010 4,480 891 3,589
2009 4,618 972 3,646
2008 4,852 1,240 3,612
2007 3,515 1,231 2,284
2006 3,449 1,291 2,158
2005 3,613 1,429 2,184
2004 3,473 1,396 2,077
2003 2,887 1,268 1,619
2002 3,031 1,273 1,758
2001 3,298 1,315 1,983
2000 3,640 1,581 2,059
1999 2,341 947 1,394
1998 2,282 914 1,368
1997 2,020 684 1,336
1996 1,594 576 1,018
1995 1,038 400 638
1994 969 401 568
1993 842 320 522
1992 569 262 307
1991 209 164 45
1990 155 132 23
1989 115 97 18
1988 128 106 22
1987 126 104 22
1986 103 90 13
1985 52 39 13
1984 43 43 0
1983 29 23 6
1982 20 20 0
1981 30 22 8
1980 38 30 8
1979 31 25 6
1978 41 32 9
1977 22 13 9
1976 23 18 5
1975 20 15 5
1974 18 13 5
1973 18 18 0
1972 25 19 6
1971 27 27 0
1970 21 21 0
1969 21 21 0
1968 18 18 0
1967 31 17 14
1966 29 11 18
1965 19 19 0
1964 14 14 0
1963 16 16 0
1962 12 12 0
1961 15 15 0
1960 10 10 0
1959 11 11 0
1958 12 12 0
1957 15 15 0
1956 19 19 0
1955 11 11 0
1954 6 6 0
1953 21 21 0
1952 9 9 0
1951 11 11 0
1950 7 7 0
1949 11 11 0
1948 18 18 0
1947 17 17 0
1946 22 22 0
1945 9 9 0
1944 14 14 0
1943 19 19 0
1942 12 12 0
1941 13 13 0
1940 13 13 0
1939 17 17 0
1938 9 9 0
1937 16 16 0
1936 10 10 0
1935 18 18 0
1934 11 11 0
1933 13 13 0
1932 11 11 0
1931 14 14 0
1930 12 12 0
1929 15 15 0
1928 20 20 0
1927 17 17 0
1926 13 13 0
1925 19 19 0
1924 16 16 0
1923 23 23 0
1922 13 13 0
1921 18 18 0
1920 17 17 0
1919 19 19 0
1918 21 21 0
1917 14 14 0
1916 11 11 0
1915 12 12 0
1914 9 9 0
1913 11 11 0
1912 9 9 0
1911 6 6 0
1910 6 6 0
1908 5 5 0
1891 5 5 0
1890 5 5 0
1888 6 6 0
1880 5 5 0

Top States for Payton (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 74
9%
CA 58
7%
OH 44
5%
MI 44
5%
IL 43
5%
PA 41
5%
NY 40
5%
FL 34
4%
IN 31
4%
GA 27
3%
NC 26
3%
VA 25
3%
AZ 23
3%
MO 21
2%
KY 20
2%
SC 19
2%
TN 19
2%
AL 19
2%
WA 19
2%
WI 18
2%
MN 16
2%
UT 16
2%
LA 15
2%
MA 15
2%
OR 14
2%
AR 13
2%
NJ 13
2%
IA 12
1%
CO 12
1%
ID 11
1%
MD 10
1%
NH 10
1%
KS 10
1%
WV 9
1%
OK 7
1%
NE 7
1%
CT 7
1%
NM 5
1%
NV 5
1%