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Home › Baby Names Directory › Payson

Payson

♂ Boy

Pronounced PAYS-ohn /ˈpeɪs.oʊn/Medium

Meaning: Transferred surname 'son of Pain/Pagen'; ultimately from Latin 'paganus' (countryman).Medium

In 30 seconds: Payson is an English surname-turned-given name meaning 'son of Pain or Pagen,' from the Latin word for countryman.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningTransferred surname 'son of Pain/Pagen'; ultimately from Latin 'paganus' (countryman).
U.S. rank (2024)#2649 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births50 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2015
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,406

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201519172024

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Payson began as a transferred surname meaning 'son of Pain' or 'son of Pagen,' personal names that trace back to the Latin paganus, meaning countryman or rural dweller. The journey from that Latin word to a medieval given name to a modern surname-style first name explains its layered origin. Its core sense reaches back to someone of the countryside.

It comes with a generous range of modern respellings — Peyson, Paysen, Paycen, Pason, and Paisynn — all reaching for the same two-syllable sound. The variety of spellings marks it as a name shaped by recent creative-spelling tastes.

Did you know? Payson is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Pain/Payn', a medieval given name from Old French paien, Latin paganus 'rural dweller'.
Overall data confidence 70%
Behind the Name - Payson — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSVEtymology — Payson — meaning/etymology

Variations

PeysonPaycenPaysenPasonPaisynn

Nicknames

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If you like Payson…

Payton— another English surname-style name with the Pay- opening
Pierson— echoes that soft -on sound
Aston— echoes that soft -on sound
Brighton— a similarly popular pick
Patton— shares Payson's English roots

Explore names like Payson

By themeenglishunisexsurname-style

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Payson mean?

Payson means 'son of Pain/Payn', an English patronymic surname ultimately from Latin paganus (countryman).

How do you pronounce Payson?

It's commonly said PAYS-ohn /ˈpeɪs.oʊn/.

Is Payson a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Payson is used as a boy name.

How popular is Payson?

In 2024, Payson ranked #2649 in the U.S. for boys, with 50 births recorded.

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