Payton
Girl name · #440 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Payton? In official American birth records, Payton has been tracked continuously since 1966, giving it 59 years of documented American history.
Payton is currently the #440 girl name in the United States — 701 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #153, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,568 girls born in 2025 was named Payton.
Babies named Payton per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 59-year story
Payton first appears in the Social Security records in 1966, when 18 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2009, when 3,646 girls were named Payton — good for #84 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Payton against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Payton in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Payton is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Payton is most common
Geography matters for names, and Payton is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Payton is most common in WV (2 per 1,000), AR (1.1 per 1,000), MS (1.1 per 1,000), IA (0.9 per 1,000), KS (0.8 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.5 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Payton is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Payton
Statistically, parents drawn to Payton tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Peyton, Maddison, London, Jordyn, and Hayden.
PeytonMaddisonLondonJordynHaydenKamrynJazlynHeaven
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Payton | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 701 | #440 |
| 2024 | 823 | #381 |
| 2023 | 991 | #311 |
| 2022 | 1,099 | #288 |
| 2021 | 1,168 | #267 |
| 2020 | 1,333 | #218 |
| 2019 | 1,423 | #215 |
| 2018 | 1,428 | #218 |
| 2017 | 1,650 | #189 |
| 2016 | 1,802 | #183 |
| 2015 | 2,117 | #153 |
| 2014 | 2,416 | #134 |
| 2013 | 2,620 | #122 |
| 2012 | 2,946 | #103 |
| 2011 | 3,153 | #95 |
| 2010 | 3,589 | #79 |
| 2009 | 3,646 | #84 |
| 2008 | 3,612 | #91 |
| 2007 | 2,284 | #153 |
| 2006 | 2,158 | #163 |
| 2005 | 2,184 | #158 |
| 2004 | 2,077 | #159 |
| 2003 | 1,619 | #204 |
| 2002 | 1,758 | #182 |
| 2001 | 1,983 | #164 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Payton?
In official American birth records, the name Payton first appeared in 1966 (over 59 years ago), when 18 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 59 years.
Is Payton a popular girl name?
Payton ranked #440 among girls in 2025 with 701 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #153.
When was the name Payton most popular?
Payton peaked in 2009, when 3,646 American girls received the name (ranked #84 that year). Since 2009 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Payton?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,568 newborn American girls was named Payton. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.