Payton is a gender-neutral spelling variant of Peyton — an Old English surname meaning "Pega's town" — that has been used for both boys and girls in America since the 1990s. As a pet name, it lands squarely in the human-name crossover category: no irony, no concept, just a contemporary name that owners extend to animals without modification.
Payton vs. Peyton
Peyton is the more common spelling and the one associated with NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, whose career from 1998 to 2016 made the name recognizable to an entire sports-watching generation. Payton is the variant spelling that softens the Manning association slightly while remaining phonetically identical. Both spellings appear in pet registries, and combined they represent a more significant presence than either alone.
The Gender-Neutral Pet Name Appeal
Neutral pet names avoid the awkward moment when a stranger assumes the dog's gender from its name. At rank 2363, with a neutral gender_pref designation, Payton appears to be genuinely split across male and female pets — exactly what you'd expect from a name that was already being used for both genders in human naming.
The Counter-Reading: Too Human for Some
Payton is a completely human name with no pet-specific associations. Owners who want their pet's name to feel distinctly animal-appropriate may find it too ordinary. Those who simply want a contemporary, recognizable, gender-flexible name will find Payton fits without effort.