Lisa Marie named her twins Harper and Finley. Angie Harmon has Finley, Avery and one more on the way. Nicole Ritchie and Joel Madden are the proud parents of Harlow. No doubt about it – gender neutral names are perfectly mainstream.
And yet, some are so common that we find them tired. There’s nothing original about Madison or Mackenzie circa 2008. Today’s choice has an appealing sound, but we fear it’s simply worn out.
Thanks to Another for suggesting our Name of the Day: Payton.
Or should that be Peyton? And is it best suited for a son or a daughter?
First let’s tackle the issue of gender neutral names. For years, the rule of thumb has been simple: if it is borrowed by the girls, it becomes off limits for boys. (Think Shirley, Ashley, Lindsey, Sidney, Madison.) Today we’re not so sure. While some spellings seem to trend feminine – Jaidyn and Jordin are probably wearing pink, while we’d expect to find Jayden and Jorden in blue – a growing group of monikers hangs in gender limbo.
The numbers bear this out. In 2007, Payton ranked #152 for girls and #278 for boys. Peyton came in at #121 for girls and #125 for boys. That works out to just under 6,000 girls and around 4,500 boys given one of the names last year.
Both spellings are originally English surnames, recorded as early as the 1200s and probably derived from villages. In other cases, it may be the Anglicized form of Irish surnames like Ó Peatáin, which translates roughly to “son of Patrick.”
Like many surnames, they were sometimes used as given names by American parents. We find two Peytons active in Virginia politics in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and both spellings briefly chart in the US Top 1000 for boys in the late 19th century.
While the television series Peyton Place ran from 1964 to 1969 and helped skyrocket Allison, it didn’t do a thing for the place name. Instead, the 90s craze for putting last names first launched both spellings. They fit right in with other picks: Tyson, Dawson, Carson, Landon, Preston and Dalton for boys; Taylor, Madison, Mackenzie, Riley and Bailey for girls.
What’s kept this choice from landing solidly on one side of the gender divide is simple: NFL stars Walter Payton, of the 1980s Chicago Bears and Peyton Manning, 2006 Super Bowl MVP for the Indianapolis Colts lend this name an undeniably athletic, masculine credibility. It balances out the handful of female Peytons we’ve seen on the small screen – One Tree Hill, CSI: NY – and in real life.
And so we submit an exception to the rule: if a beloved sports hero wears the name, it can be safely be used for boys. The other obvious example? Jordan.
Just like Jordan has spawned “girlie” variants, we’ve stumbled across Paityn and even Peightyn. Such tortured respellings simply aren’t necessary – or sophisticated.
But perhaps the death knell for Peyton is this: one of the Bratz dolls bears the name. Yes, Bratz has issued a Portia, an Amelie and an Anna, but they’re better known for eyeball-tripping monikers like Breeanna, Vinessa and Siernna. Peyton is Bratz Twiin (nope – not a typo, that’s the collection’s name) to Nevaeh.
If this style appeals, it’s probably time to dig a little deeper for a gender neutral, surname-spin appellation for your little one. While we can’t quite declare Payton and Peyton “don’t go there” names, there are far fresher, more interesting choices to consider.
You wanna talk Peightyn? How ’bout Paightonn? Her sister’s Navayah. That’s Hayavan spelled backwards. They live down the street from us. Their mom is Rayvin and their dad is Jaysen, who changed their names. When tryndees reproduce, I’m telling you…
I quite love Payton/Peyton, and prefer the ‘a’ version, but would never use them, because they’re so popular and androgynous.
Hey, you left out the Hayden connection – which gender does that one belong to?
Thanks for looking into this phenomenon for me. I still don’t get it, but oh well. The first Payton (or was it Peyton?) I was aware of was Rebecca DeMornay’s character in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. To me it’s a female name just because I heard it on a female first.
Oh, I meant to add that I know someone who named her daughter Madison in 2006 and is planning to name her next one (due this January) McKenzie. Hm.
Payton? Blech. I don’t mind Peyton on a boy but all other spellings? Nope. I don’t just dislike them, I loathe them. And I don’t use loathe lightly.
The only gender neutral I know personally is a Jordan who goes by Jordie and she’s been thinking about changing her name recently. Just turned 30 and is so tired of being taken for a guy. It doesn’t help that she’s pregnant and considering George, nn Geordie.
Yeah. So she’s really looking into it. I asked the other day, she siad she’ll probably go with Alison. Which feels like Jordan but is obviously feminine. I like her choice and if she’s that uncomfortable, I’m behind her all the way.
Back to Payton. Doesn’t matter how you spell it, my brain always does Peyton, as in “Peyton Place” and “Peyton Manning” (all male there) Ick. I think I have to go medicate with ice cream now…
I don’t really care for Payton, but I have a 7 year old cousin (a girl) with that name. She spells it that way too, not the more common Peyton. Either way, it is masculine to me and also screams Soap Opera character. I am not a fan of gender neutral names or anything trendy. Different spellings don’t do any favors for me either. They aren’t any more unique. They just look illiterate and will cause a bunch of problems later on.
I prefer something either classic or unique, not too over the top like Depressed Cupboard Cheesecake though. And yes I’ve seen this one on Y!Answers several times. Poor kid! I know a little girl named Im’Unique (I’m unique. so unoriginal) and that kid hates her name. Sure she’s a unique child, but did her parents have to be so damn stupid? I also knew a little girl when I was living in Florida who’s name was Venus. I felt so bad for her.
Lola, I really like Alison too. It is alot better than George/Georgie for a little girl. George is a male name, and Georgie doesn’t make it any more girly. One of my grampa’s cousins is named George and he goes by Georgie. Georgianna is better for a girl than George if she has to go that route, but I still like Alison better.
I actually really like Peyton for a girl, not that I would ever consider using it, but I think it’s cute. In 2005 my friend considered Peyton for her daughter, but settled on Mackenzie instead (mmhmm). I think Peyton is at least more original than that.
Also, the name always reminds me of the completely adorable baby girl who was in a gap add in just about every magazine a couple years ago, the add had her name in it, so I’m pretty sure that made me like it
Laney, George/Geordie is for the boy she’ll be having in March! Jordan is her name but by February, she’s going to be Alison, so that can go on his birth certificate too. I just talked to her last night, late and she mentioned that was what she was going to do.
And I theoretically like Venus, but then, I’dprobably name a bird that rather than a child. It does seem a lot to live up to, no?
That’s right – Rebecca DeMornay’s psycho nanny character! She’s Peyton – and since the movie came out in 1992, that explains Peyton’s popularity for girls. The name first charted in 1992, and climbed 300 spots in five years. (My personal benchmark of a hot name.) That’s crazy, though – who would want to name their darling daughter after a vengeful madwoman?
Oh well.
Corinne, poor Paightonn! I tend to think of Payton/Peyton as a trendy name that wouldn’t hamstring a child – it would just allow virtually anyone to guess her year of birth! Plenty of Barbaras, Lindas, Lisas, Jennifers and Jessicas have endured the same. But that’s a doozy of a spelling. And Navayah? Wow. I can’t even react.
In general I don’t like gender neutral names but this one is OK. I like it spelled Peyton. I can see a man having it but I think of it more as a girl’s name. Didn’t see Hand that Rocks the Cradle. Never met a Peyton but I have two novels in which the main character has the name. Other spellings like Peightynn or whatever look stupid
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