HomeBaby Names DirectoryPeyton

Peyton

♀ Girl

Pronounced PAY-ton /ˈpeɪ.tən/High

Meaning: From an English place name and surname meaning 'Pæga's town' — a settlement named after an Old English personal nameHigh

In 30 seconds: An English surname from a place name meaning 'Pæga's town,' Peyton has become a stylish unisex first name in the U.S. Its popularity for girls was given a lift by the soap opera One Tree Hill, and it sits comfortably in the top 100.
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Origin HighEnglish
MeaningFrom an English place name and surname meaning 'Pæga's town' — a settlement named after an Old English personal name
Peak year2009
Total births (all-time)≈ 69,256

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200919572017

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Peyton is an English surname derived from an Old English place name. The first element is the personal name Pæga; the second is tūn (settlement, estate, town). Surnames from English place names are a vast category, and Peyton followed the path of similar names like Preston, Dalton, and Colton into first-name use.

As a first name, Peyton was predominantly masculine through the mid-20th century. The character Peyton Sawyer in One Tree Hill (2003–2009) greatly boosted its popularity for girls. Today it is used primarily as a girls' name in the U.S. while remaining in use for boys. It has been in the U.S. top 100 girls' names since the mid-2000s.

Did you know? Peyton Manning, the NFL quarterback who won Super Bowls with two different franchises, is probably the most famous bearer of this name — his fame kept it on parents' radar for boys even as it rose for girls.

Variations

PaytonPayten

Nicknames

PayPaytie

Famous Bearers

  • Peyton Manning (b. 1976)
    American NFL quarterback, two-time Super Bowl champion.

If you like Peyton…

Harper— similarly styled surname-as-first-name popular for girls
Hayden— gender-neutral surname name of the same contemporary wave
Reagan— political surname name equally popular for girls
Piper— short, punchy girls' name from the same modern-occupational trend

Frequently Asked

What does the name Peyton mean?

Peyton is an English surname from a place name meaning 'Pæga's town' — a settlement associated with an Old English personal name.

How do you pronounce Peyton?

Peyton is pronounced PAY-ton /ˈpeɪ.tən/ — two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Peyton a boy or girl name?

Peyton is used for both, but in the U.S. it is now more common as a girl's name.

How popular is Peyton?

Peyton has been in the U.S. top 100 girls' names since the mid-2000s and remains popular.