Payton

Payton is a surname that's now being used as a given name. Sometimes it's spelled Peyton, but this is a simple variation. Peyton is a place in Sussex, and according to Ask Oxford, the original name was probably " 'Paega's settlement'. This makes it related to surnames such as Paignton and Packington. This name, in both spellings, has been creeping up the rankings of top names for babies in the U.S. since the early 1990's. The thing here is that it's being used for both boys and girls, so even though it's hanging out between the top 250 and the top 175, it's doing it for both genders simultaneously. If this continues there are going to be a lot of Paytons, and probably at least a few Paytons who marry other Paytons, and folks, this would just get confusing. So stop it. Now. At least agree on something reasonable; for instance, let's give Payton to boys and Peyton to girls. Or something. Payton is a great name for a dog, and a so-so name for a cat. I don't know why, but it's true. Test it for yourself. Let me know how it goes.