Gayton
An Old English name derived from the elements "geat" (gate) and "tun" (town, enclosure).
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Gayton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gayton today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gayton births was 1925 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gayton. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gayton. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1925
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1925 SSA rank
#4,474
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Gayton: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gayton by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gayton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gayton
The given name Gayton is an English name with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "geat," which means "gate" or "opening," and the suffix "-ton," which indicates a settlement or town. The name likely originated from a place name referring to a town or village located near a gate or opening in a wall or fence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gayton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a detailed survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as a place name, referring to villages or manors located in various counties, such as Gayton in Norfolk and Gayton in Staffordshire.
In the late 12th century, the name Gayton appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Henry II, which were administrative records of the English Exchequer. These records mention individuals with the surname Gayton, suggesting that the name had already transitioned from a place name to a personal name by that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the first name Gayton. One of the earliest recorded examples is Gayton de Merton (c. 1230-1295), an English philosopher and theologian who was a member of the Franciscan order and a prominent figure in the Oxford Franciscan school.
Another historical figure with the name Gayton was Sir Gayton de Lovel (c. 1280-1347), an English nobleman and military commander who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence and the Hundred Years' War.
In the 16th century, Gayton Wood (c. 1530-1595) was an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire.
During the 17th century, Gayton Guill (1615-1679) was an English Puritan clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Sublime Degree of Christian Love" and "The Voice of the Beloved."
In the 18th century, Gayton Beeston (1720-1789) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and was known for his participation in several naval battles.
While the name Gayton has fallen out of widespread use in modern times, it remains a unique and historically significant name with roots in the English language and culture.
People
Gayton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gayton as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gayton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gayton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gayton going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Gayton a common name?
We classify Gayton as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gayton most popular?
The single biggest year for Gayton was 1925, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gayton is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gayton in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gayton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gayton in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Gayton still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gayton in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gayton can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Gayton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.