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Payton

♂ Boy

Pronounced PAY-tun /ˈpeɪ.tən/Medium

Meaning: Pæga's townMedium

In 30 seconds: Payton is an Old English name meaning 'Pæga's town', marking a settlement once held by a man named Pæga.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningPæga's town
U.S. rank (2024)#1516 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births117 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2000
Total births (all-time)≈ 24,626

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200018802024

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

History & Origin

Payton started as an English place name and surname, combining the personal name Pæga with 'tun', the Old English word for a town or settlement. Names like this began as labels for where a family lived before becoming surnames and, later, first names. Payton carries that landed, settled history quietly within it.

The two-beat sound has helped Payton spread as a friendly, contemporary given name for boys. Its roots lie in the old English habit of turning places into family names.

Did you know? Payton is a spelling variant of Peyton, so it keeps the same core meaning of ' Pæga 's town' while changing the visual style.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Payton — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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If you like Payton…

Peyton— The most common alternative spelling of the same place-name.
Paxton— Another Old English '-ton' settlement name with a similar feel.
Dayton— A comparable English place-name ending in '-ton' used as a first name.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Payton mean?

Payton is usually explained as meaning ' Pæga 's town' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Payton?

It's commonly said PAY-tun /ˈpeɪ.tən/.

Is Payton a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Payton?

In 2024, Payton ranked #1516 in the U.S. for boys, with 117 births recorded.