Given name & surname
Payton
“from the warrior's village”
Payton is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the warrior's village.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the warrior's village.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Payton through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 84,784
- 24,739 boys · 60,045 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 4,852 babies
- 2025
- 810
- #440 for girls · #1,569 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −38%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 13% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 701 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 440 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 37.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 3,646 in 2009. It also appeared in 109 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (54). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 71,786 as a first name in 2020; 22,613 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Payton’s family of names
In English usage, Payton has a diminutive in Pay. In English usage, Payton has a related form in Peyton. Payton has a related form in Peyton.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Peytonvariant · English
- Paytenvariant
- Paitonvariant
- Payttonlikely variant
- Paitenvariant
- Peytenvariant
- Paetonvariant
- Patonvariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Payton
- Payton PritchardAmerican basketball player (born 1998)
- Payton SandfortAmerican basketball player (born 2002)
- Payton TalbottAmerican mixed martial arts fighterborn 1998
- Payton TurnerAmerican college football defensive endborn 1998
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Payton, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Addison
“daughter of Adam” · “the son of Adam”
2% boys · 98% girls
Paris
“woman of the city in France”
8% boys · 92% girls
London
“from the captial of England”
14% boys · 86% girls
Jazlyn
Jazlyn is a feminine given name.
>99% girls
Marley
“from the meadow near the lake”
13% boys · 87% girls
Marlee
“of the marshy meadow”
2% boys · 98% girls
Maggie
“resembling a pearl” · “the child of light”
>99% girls
Piper
“one who plays the flute”
>99% girls