Total births
1,443
Unisex name · since 1917
Payson
Payson has 1,443 recorded births since 1917 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2015 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2646
- among boys today
- 1,443
- born since 1917
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Payson is the #2646 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 1,443 recorded since 1917.
Payson has 1,443 recorded births among boys since 1917, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2646 as of the latest data, more common than 81% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #2646 among boys today
- 1,443 born since 1917
- 2010s peak decade
- 81% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Payson is currently the #2646 unisex name in America, more common than 81% of boys - 1,443 born since 1917, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2646
- among boys today
- 1,443
- born since 1917
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
Payson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2646
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 81% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Payson was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
78 babies were named Payson in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Payson compares
1,443 Top 25% higher than 75% 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
Payson's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Payson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,443 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 78 | 23 | 22,252 |
Payson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Payson splits its recorded history at 2005: 77% of all births land in the more recent half, 23% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1917 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2015 peak of 78 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Payson at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2015
Current rank
#2,646
Active since
1917
Payson popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 78
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Payson popularity over time - girls
1,169 total births recorded since 1995 (Payson as girls' name)
Payson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Payson's strongest decade.
613 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Payson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 10
1920s
10 births
- 1930s 7
1930s
7 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 124
1990s
124 births
- 2000s
2000s
401 births
- 2010s
2010s
613 births
- 2020s
2020s
273 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 613 births (42% of all-time use).
How Payson 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 Payson's total volume
Payson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Payson by state
Where Payson concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Arizona | | 156 | 10.8% |
| #2 | Utah | | 77 | 5.3% |
| #3 | Texas | | 48 | 3.3% |
| #4 | Idaho | | 23 | 1.6% |
| #5 | California | | 12 | 0.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 7 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Colorado | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 5 | 0.3% |
Arizona share of Payson's total US births 10.8%
Even split
156 of 1,443 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Payson appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Payson? ▼
1,443 babies have been named Payson since 1917. It currently ranks #2646 among boys. The peak year was 2015 with 78 births.
When was Payson most popular? ▼
Payson was most popular in the 2010s decade with 613 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Payson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Payson are Arizona (156 births), Utah (77 births), Texas (48 births).
Is Payson a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Payson is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,443 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,169 births.
How long has the name Payson been used? ▼
Records for Payson go back to 1917, giving 109 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Payson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Payton, Payden, Payne, Payten, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Payson's data
- Payson's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (613 total births) through the 2020s (273) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Arizona records the most Paysons (156 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Arizona 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 Payson
Nearby Names Like Payson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Payson
Payton Boy
#1517 24,739 births
Payden Boy
#6312 1,343 births
Payne Boy
#9026 1,300 births
Payten Boy
#12934 631 births
Payam Boy
193 births
Compare Payson side by side: Payson vs Payton Payson vs Payden Payson vs Payne
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Payson
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, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Payson: #2646 Unisex Name - 1,443 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/payson. 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 Payson 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.