Name of the Week: Peyton

 

 

 

Origin:

Peyton is a surname which derives from two English villages named Peyton: one in Suffolk and one in Essex. Both are recorded in the Domesday book of 1086 in the forms Peituna (Suffolk) and Pachenhau (Essex) though the latter may be a transcription error. The name most likely derives from the unknown Anglo-Saxon given name Pæcc combined with tun "farmstead, enclosure." Peyton therefore shares the same etymology as Paxton — a village in Huntingdonshire. Peyton can also count itself among the aristocratic surnames of Britain (albeit a minor one), making it akin to Percy, Stanley, Neville, Harley and Spencer. There have been five baronetcies created for members of the family of Peyton of Peyton Hall in Boxford, Suffolk. All were descended from Thomas Peyton (1418-1484) of Isleham, Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in both 1443 and 1453. Peyton and Payton — alongside Petane, Patten, Paton etc — have also been used to anglicise the Irish surname Ó Peatáin which means "descendant of Peatán." Peatán itself is an Irish diminutive of Patrick.  Patton and Paten were already in use in Britain as diminutive forms of Patrick, and so the surnames Patton, Paten etc share the same etymological link with Ó Peatáin. Peyton and Payton, however, were used simply because of their similar sound.

Usage:

The villages of Peyton are the sources of the surnames Peyton, Payton and Paiton. One of the earliest bearers of the surname was Matthew de Peytun who is recorded in the Court of Fees for Colchester, Essex in 1240. In the same source, a John de Payton is recorded in 1292 and an Edmund Peyton is recorded in London in 1389.  Peyton can be found in use as a given name in small numbers as early as the 16th century in South-East England. The fact that they were used in and around the counties of Suffolk and Essex suggests that the given names were directly influenced by local surnames, often bestowed in honour of a god-parent. Intriguingly, early baptisms can be found for both girls*** and boys*** named Payton/Peyton. Records for Peyton/Payton in the England and Wales Birth Index:   Peyton Payton 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 1980s: 1990s: 2 births 4 births 6 births 1 birth 1 birth 0 births 1 birth 3 births 2 births 1 birth 0 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 2 births 147 births 1 birth 1 birth 1 birth 3 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 1 birth 0 births 0 births 1 birth 1 birth 0 births 0 births 0 births 62 births The issue with this data is that it does not give us a clear breakdown of gender (as this is not listed in the index). However, the few middle names recorded are masculine. The census, also, only records Peyton as a masculine first name.  It is only in the 1990s that Peyton and Payton began to be used in greater numbers, and for both boys and girls.  In 1992, the thriller film The Hand that Rocks the Cradle was released, starring Rebecca DeMornay as the psychotic nanny, Peyton Flanders. The film was very successful, and clearly had an effect on the name. Only 4 Peytons were registered from 1988-1992, while 10 Peytons were registered in 1993 alone (most of them with female middle names) and this figure increased over the decade.  click to enlarge Then came One Tree Hill in late 2003, which ran for nine series until 2012, and CSI: NY (from 2006-2009). Both featured female characters named Peyton.  2007 also saw Peyton used as Dwayne Johnson's character's young daughter in The Game Plan.  In 2008, Peyton first moved into the top 1000 for girls at #602 (62 births). The following year it more than doubled in usage when it rose to #336 (132 births). It continued to rise steeply, reaching a peak the next year in 2010 at #254 (198 births). The spelling Payton, though less common, also peaked for girls in 2010 at #521 (77 births).  Both spellings have also seen a modest rise for boys. Peyton went from not ranking at all between 1998 and 2004, to peaking at #1462 (16 births) in 2013. Payton peaked in 2011 at #2613 (7 births). In the US, Peyton entered the top 1000 for girls for the first time in 1992 at #583 and quickly moved up the charts, entering the top 100 in 2008 (at #60) where it has been ever since. In 2017, it ranked #89 in America having peaked at #42 in 2009.  For boys, Peyton entered the top 1000 in 1989 at #991 and rose steadily to a peak of #125 in 2007. It has since declined however to #340.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Peyton Randolph (1721–1775), American politician. * Peyton Gordon (1870–1946), United States federal judge. * Peyton M. Magruder (1911–1982), aircraft designer. Contemporary: * Peyton Reed (born 1964), American director. * Peyton Hayslip (born 1966), American actress. * Peyton Manning (born 1976), American football player. * Payton Haas (born 1979), American actor. * Peyton Sellers (born 1983), American race car driver. * Peyton List (born 1986), American actress.  * Peyton Hillis (born 1986), American football player.  * Peyton Siva (born 1990), American basketball player. * Peyton Thompson (born 1990), American football player. Literature and Other Media: * Peyton Loftis, character in the 1951 novel Lie Down in Darkness. * Peyton Bragg, character in the 1959 novel Alas, Babylon. * Peyton Westlake, character in the 1990 film Darkman. * Peyton Flanders, character in the 1992 film The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. * Peyton Sawyer, character in the television series One Tree Hill. * Peyton Driscoll, character in the television series CSI: NY. * Peyton Kelly, character in the 2007 film The Game Plan. * Peyton Leverett, character in the 2011 film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure.

Variants:

Payton, Paiton

Pronunciation:

PAY-tən [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Pey, Pait, Petty, Pax

Sibling Names:

Hallie     Aubrey     Miley     Harlow     Autumn     Skyla  Rogan     Cooper     Cody     Lincoln     Grayson     Hudson

Name Lists:

N/A

 

If you like Peyton you may also like:   Madison, Riley, Paisley, Savannah, Piper, Nevaeh, Regan, Paige, Lacey, Reeva

Thanks to Chamali for requesting this name.