Payton
Girl name · #440 in 2025 · Uniqueness 68/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
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?
Payton scores 68 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Payton will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Payton is most common
Geography matters for names, and Payton is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Paytons were TX (54), FL (46), CA (39), NY (39), PA (35). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 68/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.