Total births
1,343
Unisex name · since 1986
Payden
Payden has 1,343 recorded births since 1986 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2008 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6312
- among boys today
- 1,343
- born since 1986
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 56%
- more common than other boys
1,343 babies have been named Payden since 1986, making it today's #6312 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Payden recorded 1,343 times among boys since 1986, holding rank #6312 nationally today, ahead of 56% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1986 to 2025.
- #6312 among boys today
- 1,343 born since 1986
- 2000s peak decade
- 56% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Payden is currently the #6312 unisex name in America, more common than 56% of boys - 1,343 born since 1986, peaking in the 2000s.
- #6312
- among boys today
- 1,343
- born since 1986
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 56%
- more common than other boys
Payden vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6312
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 56% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Payden was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
75 babies were named Payden in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Payden compares
1,343 Top 26% higher than 74% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Payden's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Payden | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,343 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 75 | 23 | 22,252 |
Payden's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Payden's SSA record in two at 2006 and the more recent half accounts for 53% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 47%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 2023, with only 10 births recorded -- set against the 2008 peak of 75, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Payden at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2008
Current rank
#6,312
Active since
1986
Payden popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1986–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 75
- Annual births at peak, across 40 years of records
Payden popularity over time - girls
701 total births recorded since 1992 (Payden as girls' name)
Payden by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Payden's strongest decade.
477 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Payden births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 92
1980s
92 births
- 1990s
1990s
308 births
- 2000s
2000s
477 births
- 2010s
2010s
362 births
- 2020s 104
2020s
104 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 477 births (36% of all-time use).
How Payden compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Payden's total volume
Payden vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Payden by state
Where Payden concentrates geographically, total births since 1986
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 95 | 7.1% |
| #2 | Utah | | 33 | 2.5% |
| #3 | California | | 18 | 1.3% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 15 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 7 | 0.5% |
| #7 | New York | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.4% |
Texas share of Payden's total US births 7.1%
Even split
95 of 1,343 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Payden appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Payden? ▼
Payden has been given to 1,343 babies in the U.S. since 1986, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #6312 as of the latest data. 75 babies were born in 2008, its single highest year.
When was Payden most popular? ▼
Payden was most popular in the 2000s decade with 477 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Payden most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Payden are Texas (95 births), Utah (33 births), California (18 births).
Is Payden a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Payden is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,343 births, and as a girl's name it has 701 births.
How long has the name Payden been used? ▼
Records for Payden go back to 1986, giving 40 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Payden? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Payton, Payson, Payne, Payten, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Payden's data
- Payden's decade-level peak was the 2000s (477 total births); usage has since declined to 104 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Paydens (95 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Payden
Nearby Names Like Payden
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Payden
Payton Boy
#1517 24,739 births
Payson Boy
#2646 1,443 births
Payne Boy
#9026 1,300 births
Payten Boy
#12934 631 births
Payam Boy
193 births
Compare Payden side by side: Payden vs Payton Payden vs Payson Payden vs Payne
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Payden
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1986–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Payden: #6312 Unisex Name - 1,343 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/payden. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Payden draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.