Payal
Borrowed from Sanskrit पायल (pāyala).
Every Payal since 1975 — 674 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Payal
Payal is not currently in use for newborns in the United States — fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.
Since 1975, 674 American babies have been named Payal. Its peak came in 1981, when 34 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Payal stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Payal year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — |
| 2024 | — | — |
| 2023 | — | — |
| 2022 | — | — |
| 2021 | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — |
| 2017 | — | — |
| 2016 | — | — |
| 2015 | 5 | #18,480 |
| 2014 | — | — |
| 2013 | 5 | #18,612 |
| 2012 | 5 | #18,879 |
| 2011 | — | — |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2009 | — | — |
| 2008 | — | — |
| 2007 | 6 | #17,089 |
| 2006 | 7 | #14,746 |
| 2005 | — | — |
| 2004 | 8 | #12,455 |
| 2003 | 14 | #7,894 |
| 2002 | 16 | #6,963 |
| 2001 | 14 | #7,637 |
| 2000 | 20 | #5,637 |
| 1995 | 28 | #3,854 |
| 1990 | 26 | #3,977 |
| 1985 | 24 | #3,594 |
| 1980 | 19 | #4,102 |
| 1975 | 10 | #5,850 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Payal mean?
Borrowed from Sanskrit पायल (pāyala).
How popular is the name Payal in 2025?
Payal did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.
How many people are named Payal?
674 babies have been named Payal in the United States since 1975, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Payal most popular?
Payal peaked in 1981, when 34 newborns received the name.
Is Payal a boy or girl name?
Payal is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Payal rising or falling?
Payal is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.