Paying
A name meaning "to discharge a debt or obligation."
Name Census estimates that about 24 living Americans carry the first name Paying. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Paying today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Paying births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Paying. 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 Paying. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
24
~ 1 in 14,281,431 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2003 SSA rank
#17,718
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Paying: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Paying from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 15 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Paying remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Paying 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 Paying during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Paying
The given name Paying has its origins in the ancient Khmer language of Cambodia, dating back to the Angkorian period (9th to 15th century CE). It is derived from the Khmer word "payong," which means "umbrella" or "parasol." In Khmer culture, the umbrella was a symbol of royalty and protection from the sun's harsh rays.
During the Angkorian era, Paying was a name bestowed upon children born into the noble classes or those with close ties to the royal family. It was seen as a name that would bestow upon the child a sense of honor, dignity, and the privilege of being shielded from life's difficulties, much like an umbrella shields one from the elements.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Paying can be found in inscriptions on the walls of the Bayon temple in Angkor Thom, dating back to the late 12th century. These inscriptions mention a high-ranking official named Paying, who served as a courtier in the court of King Jayavarman VII.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Paying. One such individual was Paying Chao, a revered Buddhist monk and scholar who lived in the 16th century. He was renowned for his teachings on mindfulness and his contributions to the preservation of Khmer literature and culture.
Another prominent figure was Paying Kesor, a skilled architect and engineer who oversaw the construction of several iconic temples and waterways in Cambodia during the 17th century. His masterpiece was the intricate canal system that connected the Tonle Sap lake to the Mekong River, ensuring a reliable water supply for the kingdom's agricultural needs.
In the 19th century, Paying Yothea was a celebrated Khmer poet and playwright whose works captured the essence of Cambodian culture and traditions. His plays were often performed in the royal court and played a significant role in preserving Khmer language and literature.
Paying Seng, born in 1878, was a renowned Cambodian scholar and diplomat. He played a crucial role in negotiating the boundaries between Cambodia and its neighboring countries, ensuring the preservation of the kingdom's territorial integrity during a time of colonial influence.
The name Paying continued to be used in Cambodia throughout the centuries, carrying with it a sense of cultural heritage and pride in one's Khmer roots. While its popularity may have waned in modern times, it remains a cherished part of Cambodia's rich history and traditions.
People
Paying + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Paying 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
Paying: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Paying?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 24 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Paying 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 14,281,431 US residents.
Is Paying a common name?
We classify Paying as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 25 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Paying most popular?
The single biggest year for Paying was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Paying is about 28 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 Paying in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Paying a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Paying 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.
Is Paying still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Paying 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 Paying 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 are named Paying?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.