Total births
3,344
Unisex name · since 1992
Payten
Payten has 3,344 recorded births since 1992 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7059
- among girls today
- 3,344
- born since 1992
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Payten is the #7059 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 3,344 recorded since 1992.
Social Security Administration records show Payten recorded 3,344 times among girls since 1992, holding rank #7059 nationally today, ahead of 60% of girls, 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 1992 to 2025.
- #7059 among girls today
- 3,344 born since 1992
- 2000s peak decade
- 60% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Payten is currently the #7059 unisex name in America, more common than 60% of girls - 3,344 born since 1992, peaking in the 2000s.
- #7059
- among girls today
- 3,344
- born since 1992
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other girls
Payten vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#7059
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 60% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
44% of everyone ever named Payten was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
310 babies were named Payten in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Payten compares
3,344 Top 17% higher than 83% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Payten's all-time total is 9x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Payten | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,344 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 310 | 48 | 19,840 |
Payten's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Payten splits its recorded history at 2009: 57% of all births land in the more recent half, 43% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1992 (14 births) -- compare that against the 2009 peak of 310 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Payten at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2009
Current rank
#7,059
Active since
1992
Payten popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1992–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 310
- Annual births at peak, across 34 years of records
Payten popularity over time - boys
631 total births recorded since 1992 (Payten as boys' name)
Payten by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Payten's strongest decade.
1,459 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Payten births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 287
1990s
287 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,459 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,398 births
- 2020s 200
2020s
200 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,459 births (44% of all-time use).
How Payten compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Payten's total volume
Payten vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Payten by state
Where Payten concentrates geographically, total births since 1992
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 246 | 7.4% |
| #2 | California | | 189 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 151 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Florida | | 119 | 3.6% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 109 | 3.3% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 83 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Washington | | 81 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 71 | 2.1% |
Texas share of Payten's total US births 7.4%
Even split
246 of 3,344 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Payten appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Payten? ▼
3,344 babies have been named Payten since 1992. It currently ranks #7059 among girls. The peak year was 2009 with 310 births.
When was Payten most popular? ▼
Payten was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,459 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Payten most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Payten are Texas (246 births), California (189 births), Ohio (151 births).
Is Payten a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Payten is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 3,344 births, and as a boy's name it has 631 births.
How long has the name Payten been used? ▼
Records for Payten go back to 1992, giving 34 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Payten? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Payton, Payson, Payge, Payden, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Payten's data
- Payten's decade-level peak was the 2000s (1,459 total births); usage has since declined to 200 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Paytens (246 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 Payten
Nearby Names Like Payten
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Payten
Payton Girl
#381 60,045 births
Payson Girl
#3942 1,169 births
Payge Girl
1,124 births
Payden Girl
#10600 701 births
Payal Girl
674 births
Compare Payten side by side: Payten vs Payton Payten vs Payson Payten vs Payge
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Payten
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, 1992–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Payten: #7059 Unisex Name - 3,344 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/payten. 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 Payten 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.