Clay Boy

Popularity: #504 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: klay //kleɪ//

Origin: English; Latin

Meaning: English: clay; Latin: clay, earth

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Clay is derived from the Old English word "claeg," which means "clay" or "mortar." This term has its roots in the Proto-Germanic *klaiwaz, which also referred to clay or earth. The transition of the name into English can be traced through the linguistic evolution from Old English to Middle English, where it retained its association with the earthy material, symbolizing strength and stability.

The name has been used as both a surname and a given name, often reflecting a connection to the land or the craft of pottery, which has been significant in various cultures throughout history. Historically, the name Clay has been associated with various notable figures and events.

In the United States, one of the most prominent bearers of the name was Henry Clay (1777-1852), a significant political figure and statesman who served as Speaker of the House and was a key player in the development of the American political landscape during the early 19th century. His contributions to American politics, particularly in the context of the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, have cemented the name's historical significance.

Additionally, the name appears in various literary works and historical texts, often symbolizing resilience and a connection to the earth. Culturally, the name Clay carries connotations of creativity and craftsmanship, reflecting the qualities associated with the material itself.

Clay has been used in various artistic expressions, from pottery to sculpture, which enhances the name's resonance in artistic communities. The name's earthy roots contribute to its symbolic associations with groundedness and stability, making it a name that evokes a sense of tradition and connection to one's heritage.

Diminutive forms such as Clayt or Clayborne have also emerged, further enriching the name's historical tapestry.

Famous people named Clay

In this section, you will find notable people named Clay. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Clay who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Clay who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Clay Aiken is a singer and television personality best known for American Idol, Measure of a Man, and his Broadway role in Spamalot.

Clay Matthews is a former American football linebacker best known for his time with the Green Bay Packers and multiple Pro Bowl selections.

Fictional characters named Clay

The following list of fictional characters named Clay is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Clay Jensen is a fictional character from the novel and Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. He is a high school student who grapples with the aftermath of a classmate's suicide and the tapes she leaves behind.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Clay, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CadeCoryClintCameronColinCyrus

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Clay. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

ClydeCliffCliveClaytonCleoClaudCaleCruzKlayKale

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Clay was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Clay has ranked as high as #569 nationally, which occurred in 1960, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

In the past 5 years the name Clay has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Clay is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Clay was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Clay.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 515 515 0
2024 550 545 5
2023 494 494 0
2022 453 453 0
2021 451 451 0
2020 422 417 5
2019 376 376 0
2018 353 353 0
2017 355 355 0
2016 339 339 0
2015 342 342 0
2014 269 269 0
2013 321 321 0
2012 322 322 0
2011 316 316 0
2010 273 273 0
2009 213 213 0
2008 250 250 0
2007 281 281 0
2006 309 309 0
2005 330 330 0
2004 388 383 5
2003 519 519 0
2002 597 597 0
2001 573 573 0
2000 641 641 0
1999 603 603 0
1998 630 623 7
1997 643 643 0
1996 648 648 0
1995 714 714 0
1994 689 689 0
1993 494 494 0
1992 433 433 0
1991 465 465 0
1990 494 494 0
1989 451 451 0
1988 488 488 0
1987 467 467 0
1986 412 412 0
1985 416 416 0
1984 380 380 0
1983 373 373 0
1982 345 345 0
1981 333 333 0
1980 356 350 6
1979 345 345 0
1978 378 369 9
1977 421 421 0
1976 434 434 0
1975 454 454 0
1974 422 422 0
1973 475 470 5
1972 439 439 0
1971 520 520 0
1970 461 456 5
1969 431 431 0
1968 389 389 0
1967 361 361 0
1966 365 360 5
1965 440 440 0
1964 571 571 0
1963 656 656 0
1962 705 705 0
1961 900 900 0
1960 911 904 7
1959 826 826 0
1958 730 723 7
1957 605 594 11
1956 485 485 0
1955 431 426 5
1954 348 340 8
1953 270 270 0
1952 274 267 7
1951 225 225 0
1950 187 180 7
1949 176 176 0
1948 171 171 0
1947 145 145 0
1946 114 114 0
1945 97 97 0
1944 116 110 6
1943 136 125 11
1942 137 123 14
1941 112 106 6
1940 128 128 0
1939 130 122 8
1938 124 113 11
1937 123 117 6
1936 131 124 7
1935 110 110 0
1934 117 117 0
1933 123 114 9
1932 123 123 0
1931 117 117 0
1930 138 131 7
1929 107 107 0
1928 135 135 0
1927 164 155 9
1926 137 131 6
1925 144 144 0
1924 157 151 6
1923 146 134 12
1922 194 189 5
1921 167 160 7
1920 157 147 10
1919 128 128 0
1918 146 146 0
1917 131 125 6
1916 138 133 5
1915 139 132 7
1914 107 107 0
1913 89 89 0
1912 80 75 5
1911 52 52 0
1910 28 28 0
1909 35 35 0
1908 33 33 0
1907 31 31 0
1906 36 36 0
1905 34 34 0
1904 32 32 0
1903 27 27 0
1902 33 33 0
1901 21 21 0
1900 41 41 0
1899 23 23 0
1898 40 40 0
1897 25 25 0
1896 30 30 0
1895 33 33 0
1894 42 42 0
1893 33 33 0
1892 23 23 0
1891 17 11 6
1890 32 32 0
1889 29 29 0
1888 31 31 0
1887 23 23 0
1886 28 28 0
1885 18 18 0
1884 32 32 0
1883 25 25 0
1882 17 17 0
1881 24 24 0
1880 18 18 0

Top States for Clay (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 53
10%
CA 33
6%
VA 23
4%
FL 22
4%
OH 20
4%
NC 19
4%
TN 19
4%
MN 18
4%
IL 16
3%
MO 16
3%
IN 16
3%
CO 16
3%
KY 16
3%
IA 15
3%
UT 14
3%
GA 13
3%
WA 13
3%
OR 13
3%
NY 12
2%
MI 12
2%
OK 12
2%
WI 12
2%
PA 12
2%
LA 12
2%
MT 10
2%
ID 9
2%
AL 9
2%
WV 9
2%
SC 9
2%
KS 8
2%
MS 7
1%
AR 7
1%
NE 7
1%
MD 6
1%
NJ 5
1%