Payal
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning anklets or ornaments worn around the ankles.
Name Census estimates that about 644 living Americans carry the first name Payal. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Payal today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Payal births was 1981 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Payal. 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.
People living today
644
~ 1 in 532,227 Americans
Peak year
1981
34 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2015 SSA rank
#18,477
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Payal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Payal from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 271 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Payal 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 Payal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Payals live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New Jersey, California, Illinois recorded the most babies named Payal, while Texas, Pennsylvania, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 41 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Payal
The name Payal is of Sanskrit origin, deriving from the word 'payal' which means 'anklet' or 'bell around the ankle' in Hindi and several other Indian languages. The name finds its roots in ancient Indian culture, where anklets were a traditional ornament worn by women, often adorned with tiny bells that created a delightful tinkling sound with every step.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Payal can be found in the ancient Hindu scripture, the Mahabharata, where it is described as a symbol of feminine grace and beauty. In the epic, the character Draupadi is praised for the melodious sound of her payals, which added to her charm and elegance.
Throughout Indian history, the name Payal has been associated with various notable figures. One such figure is Payal Ghosh, an Indian actress and model who was born in 1985. She has appeared in several Bollywood films and television shows, and is known for her roles in movies like 'Red Swastik' and 'Yours Truly'.
Another prominent bearer of the name is Payal Kadakia, an Indian-American entrepreneur and founder of the popular fitness platform ClassPass. Born in 1983, Kadakia's innovative approach to making fitness classes more accessible has earned her recognition as a trailblazer in the wellness industry.
In the literary world, Payal Dhar is a celebrated Indian author and poet, known for her works that explore themes of identity, feminism, and socio-political issues. Born in 1970, her poetry collections, such as 'Lullaby of the Reel' and 'Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha,' have garnered critical acclaim.
The name Payal has also been associated with notable figures in the field of classical Indian dance. Payal Mukherjee, born in 1966, is a renowned Kathak dancer and choreographer who has performed extensively both in India and abroad, showcasing the beauty and intricacies of this ancient dance form.
Another notable bearer of the name is Payal Rohatgi, an Indian actress and former model, born in 1984. She has appeared in various Bollywood films and television shows, and is known for her outspoken personality and activism on various social causes.
People
Payal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Payal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Payal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Payal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 644 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Payal 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 1 in 532,227 US residents.
Is Payal a common name?
We classify Payal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 674 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Payal most popular?
The single biggest year for Payal was 1981, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Payal is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Payal a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Payal in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.