Payson: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,292

among boys · ↓634 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Payson · -6% vs 2024

How common

1 in 47,447

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2012

171 babies

All-time total

2,612

#4,066 all-time among boys

First recorded

1917

in Social Security records

Payson popularity over time

2,612 babies have been named Payson since 1917, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	5	5	1	–	#4,436
1920s	–	10	10	1	+100%	#4,406
1930s	–	7	7	1	-30%	#3,290
1940s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	5	5	1	–	#4,454
1970s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	5	5	1	–	#7,092
1990s	6	124	130	13	+2500%	#3,164
2000s	103	401	504	50	+288%	#1,972
2010s	754	613	1,367	137	+171%	#1,885
2020s (to 2025)	306	273	579	97	-29%	#2,535

Where Payson is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	35	0.02	outside top 500
2027	34	0.02	outside top 500
2028	34	0.02	outside top 500
2029	33	0.02	outside top 500
2030	33	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Payson

Payson is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,292 in 2025 with 36 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1917, 2,612 American babies have been named Payson, about 55% boys and 45% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2012, when 171 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Payson stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Payson?

The median living Payson is about 11 years old; half are between 6 and 15. An estimated 2,600 people named Payson are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Payson year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	47	#3,335	36	#3,292
2024	38	#3,946	50	#2,658
2023	58	#2,927	46	#2,792
2022	61	#2,812	39	#3,140
2021	64	#2,700	51	#2,579
2020	38	#3,825	51	#2,535
2019	43	#3,600	47	#2,724
2018	46	#3,429	56	#2,376
2017	56	#2,958	59	#2,262
2016	54	#3,092	71	#2,023
2015	68	#2,640	78	#1,885
2014	72	#2,510	74	#1,956
2013	99	#1,987	57	#2,271
2012	111	#1,828	60	#2,200
2011	116	#1,768	51	#2,467
2010	89	#2,198	60	#2,203
2009	19	#7,004	72	#1,972
2008	10	#11,400	37	#3,150
2007	10	#11,431	49	#2,556
2006	9	#12,180	27	#3,750
2005	12	#9,313	43	#2,599
2004	8	#12,456	38	#2,780
2003	9	#11,105	27	#3,421
2002	8	#11,918	39	#2,537
2001	9	#10,793	37	#2,605
2000	9	#10,527	32	#2,847
1995	6	#12,928	13	#4,719
1990	–	–	–	–
1985	–	–	–	–
1980	–	–	–	–
1975	–	–	–	–
1970	–	–	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	5	#4,454
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Payson, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Payson?

The median living Payson is about 11 years old. Half of all living Paysons are between 6 and 15 years old.

How many people named Payson are alive today?

An estimated 2,600 people named Payson are alive in the United States, based on 2,612 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Payson in 2025?

Payson ranked #3,292 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 36 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Payson?

2,612 babies have been named Payson in the United States since 1917, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Payson most popular?

Payson peaked in 2012, when 171 newborns received the name.

Is Payson a boy or girl name?

Payson is used for both: about 45% of babies named Payson have been girls and 55% boys.

Is the name Payson rising or falling?

Payson is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Payson become more popular?

Payson is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 33 boys named Payson in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Payson

Names that sound and feel close to Payson: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Payson with similar names → More names starting with P →