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The short answer
Peyton comes from an English surname that began as a place name meaning "Pæga's town". Behind the Name notes it was a rare masculine given name until the 1990s, when a 1992 film, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, used it for a female character; despite that character being the villain, the name rose for girls as well as boys afterward. Notable bearers include Continental Congress president Peyton Randolph and NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. Pronounced PAY-tən, it ranked #199 for girls in the US in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name traces Peyton to "an English surname, originally a place name meaning 'Pæga's town'". As a given name it was rare and masculine before the 1990s; the entry credits its rise for girls to a 1992 film, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, which gave the name to a female character despite her being the movie's villain. Notable bearers named in the entry include Peyton Randolph, first president of the Continental Congress, and football quarterback Peyton Manning.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Old English | Pæga (personal name) + tūn | Pæga's town |
Popularity
Peyton ranked #199 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #199 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Paityn
Related names: None documented.
What the name feels like
Peyton is a surname-name in the same family as Addison and Mackenzie: a place-name-turned-surname that reads as crisp and gender-flexible, with its film-villain backstory long forgotten by most parents who choose it.
Style tags: surname name, place name origin, unisex-adjacent, modern classic
Editorial interpretation: This style framing is editorial opinion. The 1990s crossover to a girls' name is documented by Behind the Name; the comparison to other surname names is a subjective grouping.
If you like this name
Editorial picks for readers drawn to Peyton's surname-name shape or its crossover history.
Similar by style
Similar by popularity
- Peyton Manning
- Paisley
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Peyton mean?
Peyton means "Pæga's town". It comes from an English surname that was originally a place name.
Is Peyton a boy's name or a girl's name?
It started as a rare boy's name but has been used for girls since a 1992 film gave it to a female character; today it is far more common for girls, ranking #199 in the US in 2025.
What is a variant spelling of Peyton?
Paityn is a variant spelling listed by Behind the Name.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Peyton — supports etymology, history, variants, pronunciation.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
