Unisex name · Old English
Payton
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: Pæga's townPayton is a gender-neutral name that comes from Old English and means "Pæga's town". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Pæga's town
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #440 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Payton
As a gender-neutral name, Payton comes from Old English and means "Pæga's town". It is used in English.
Payton is also a surname: the 1,549th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 22,613 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Payton on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Payton on 1 list.
“English surname meaning Pæga's town; sporty and sweet”
From Country girl names, surname names for Southern girls
How popular is Payton?
In 2025, 701 girls and 109 boys in the US were named Payton.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #440
- 701 babies, 436 per million girls
- Best rank
- #79 in 2010
- Most babies: 3,646 in 2009
- Babies since 1966
- At least 60,045
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 2 per million |
| 1970s | 3 per million |
| 1980s | 6 per million |
| 1990s | 401 per million |
| 2000s | 1,265 per million |
| 2010s | 1,322 per million |
| 2020s | 628 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #183 | #189 | #218 | #215 | #218 | #267 | #289 | #311 | #381 | #440 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #1,569
- 109 babies, 64 per million boys
- Best rank
- #219 in 2000
- 1,581 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 24,739
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 10 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 9 per million |
| 1900s | 4 per million |
| 1910s | 18 per million |
| 1920s | 16 per million |
| 1930s | 12 per million |
| 1940s | 10 per million |
| 1950s | 6 per million |
| 1960s | 8 per million |
| 1970s | 12 per million |
| 1980s | 31 per million |
| 1990s | 246 per million |
| 2000s | 651 per million |
| 2010s | 238 per million |
| 2020s | 79 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #817 | #797 | #909 | #1,105 | #1,122 | #1,241 | #1,313 | #1,494 | #1,519 | #1,569 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Payton
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- PeytonPæga's town (Old English, unisex)
Names spelled like Payton
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- PlatonBroad (Greek, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AdrienneFrom Hadria, a Roman town (Latin, girl)
- AinhoaFrom a Basque town with a famous image of the Virgin Mary (Basque, girl)
- AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
- AshtonAsh tree town (Old English, boy)
- BraxtonFrom a surname meaning Bracca's town (Old English, boy)
- BurtonFortified town (Old English, boy)
- ColtonFrom a surname and place name meaning Cola's town (Old English, boy)
- DarbyDeer town (Old Norse, unisex)
- EastonFrom a surname meaning east town (Old English, boy)
- EltonElla's town (Old English, boy)
- KaysonVariant of Cason, a surname from Cawston, Kálfr's town (English, boy)
- KingstonKing's town (Old English, boy)
- LaurenceFrom Laurentum, a Roman town (Latin, boy)
- LeightonTown with a leek garden (Old English, unisex)
- MiltonMill town (Old English, boy)
Middle names for Payton
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- EdithRich in war (Old English, girl)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
- OsmundGod protector (Old English, boy)
- OswaldPower of a god (Old English, boy)
- ReidRed-haired (Old English, boy)
- RutherfordCattle ford (Old English, boy)
- StewartSteward (Old English, boy)
Payton: common questions
What does the name Payton mean?
Payton comes from Old English and means "Pæga's town".
Is Payton a boy or girl name?
Payton is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 701 girls and 109 boys in the US were named Payton, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Payton come from?
Payton comes from Old English and means "Pæga's town". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Payton?
Payton ranked #440 in the US in 2025, with 701 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Payton?
Forms of Payton with the same meaning and origin include Peyton (English).
What middle names go with Payton?
Middle names that flow well with Payton include Basil, Bess, Ezra, Grace and Gwen. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.