Total births
60,045
Unisex name · since 1966
Payton
Payton has 60,045 recorded births since 1966 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #381
- among girls today
- 60,045
- born since 1966
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Payton currently ranks #381 among unisex names in America, with 60,045 babies recorded since 1966.
Social Security Administration records show Payton recorded 60,045 times among girls since 1966, holding rank #381 nationally today, ahead of 98% 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 1966 to 2025.
- #381 among girls today
- 60,045 born since 1966
- 2000s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Payton is currently the #381 unisex name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 60,045 born since 1966, peaking in the 2000s.
- #381
- among girls today
- 60,045
- born since 1966
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Payton vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#381
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Payton was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
3,646 babies were named Payton in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Payton compares
60,045 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Payton's all-time total is 157x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Payton | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 60,045 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,646 | 48 | 19,840 |
Payton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Payton's full recorded timeline at 1999, 90% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 10% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1974, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2009 peak of 3,646 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Payton at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2009
Current rank
#381
Active since
1966
Payton popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1966–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 3,646
- Annual births at peak, across 60 years of records
Payton popularity over time - boys
24,739 total births recorded since 1880 (Payton as boys' name)
Payton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Payton's strongest decade.
23,380 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Payton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 32
1960s
32 births
- 1970s 45
1970s
45 births
- 1980s 110
1980s
110 births
- 1990s 7,219
1990s
7,219 births
- 2000s
2000s
23,380 births
- 2010s
2010s
23,144 births
- 2020s 6,115
2020s
6,115 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 23,380 births (39% of all-time use).
How Payton 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 Payton's total volume
Payton vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Payton by state
Where Payton concentrates geographically, total births since 1966
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 4,915 | 8.2% |
| #2 | California | | 3,697 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 3,267 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 2,750 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Florida | | 2,711 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 2,568 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 2,369 | 3.9% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 2,196 | 3.7% |
Texas share of Payton's total US births 8.2%
Even split
4,915 of 60,045 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Payton appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Payton? ▼
60,045 babies have been named Payton since 1966. It currently ranks #381 among girls. The peak year was 2009 with 3,646 births.
When was Payton most popular? ▼
Payton was most popular in the 2000s decade with 23,380 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Payton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Payton are Texas (4,915 births), California (3,697 births), Ohio (3,267 births).
Is Payton a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Payton is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 60,045 births, and as a boy's name it has 24,739 births.
How long has the name Payton been used? ▼
Records for Payton go back to 1966, giving 60 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Payton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Payten, Payson, Payge, Payden, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Payton's data
- Payton's decade-level peak was the 2000s (23,380 total births); usage has since declined to 6,115 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Paytons (4,915 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 Payton
Nearby Names Like Payton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Payton
Payten Girl
#7059 3,344 births
Payson Girl
#3942 1,169 births
Payge Girl
1,124 births
Payden Girl
#10600 701 births
Payal Girl
674 births
Compare Payton side by side: Payton vs Payten Payton vs Payson Payton vs Payge
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Payton
Mira #380
15,096 births · Peak 2025
Astrid #382
14,145 births · Peak 2024
Melissa #379
760,128 births · Peak 1979
Hattie #383
105,197 births · Peak 1918
Paige #378
146,734 births · Peak 2003
Brynn #384
29,816 births · Peak 2011
Itzel #377
21,316 births · Peak 2005
Winter #385
15,619 births · Peak 2022
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, 1966–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Payton: #381 Unisex Name - 60,045 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/payton. 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 Payton 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.