Clayton Boy

Popularity: #286 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KLAY-ton //ˈkleɪtən//

Origin: English; Old English

Meaning: Old English: clay settlement; Old English: from the clay town

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Clayton has its roots in Old English, derived from the elements "clæg," meaning "clay," and "tun," meaning "town" or "settlement." This etymological combination suggests a literal meaning of "clay settlement" or "town by the clay." The name likely originated as a toponym, referring to places where clay was a significant resource, and it can be traced back to various locations in England, particularly in the regions of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Over time, the name transitioned into Middle English forms before being adopted into modern English as Clayton.

Historically, the name Clayton appears in various records dating back to the medieval period. It is notably associated with several English villages and towns, which contributed to its use as a surname and later as a given name.

The name gained further recognition through notable figures in English history, including various landowners and local nobility. The surname Clayton was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating its long-standing presence in English culture.

Additionally, the name has been borne by various saints and religious figures, enhancing its significance within Christian traditions. Culturally, the name Clayton has been associated with themes of stability and rootedness, reflecting its geographical origins.

The imagery of clay, a malleable yet durable material, resonates with notions of resilience and adaptability. This symbolism has contributed to the name's endurance through the centuries.

Variants and diminutives, such as Clay, have also emerged, further enriching the name's legacy. Overall, Clayton embodies a blend of historical significance and cultural resonance, marking its place in the tapestry of English nomenclature.

Famous people named Clayton

In this section, you will find notable people named Clayton. 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 Clayton who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Clayton 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.

Clayton Kershaw is a baseball player best known for his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning multiple Cy Young Awards and the 2020 World Series.

Clayton Christensen was a business scholar best known for his books The Innovator's Dilemma and The Innovator's Solution.

Clayton Moore was an actor best known for his role as the Lone Ranger in the television series of the same name.

Clayton M. Christensen was a professor at Harvard Business School best known for his work on disruptive innovation.

Fictional characters named Clayton

The following list of fictional characters named Clayton 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.

Clayton is a fictional character from the animated film Tarzan. He is the main antagonist who seeks to capture Tarzan and exploit the gorillas for profit.

Sibling suggestions

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

ColtonBraytonLaytonMasonDawsonJaxon

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Clayton. 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.

CaydenPaytonAidenGraysonJadenKadenTalonZayden

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Clayton has ranked as high as #286 nationally, which occurred in 2000, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Clayton has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Clayton 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 Clayton 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 Clayton.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,130 1,130 0
2024 1,083 1,083 0
2023 1,075 1,067 8
2022 1,200 1,200 0
2021 1,242 1,237 5
2020 1,177 1,172 5
2019 1,316 1,308 8
2018 1,451 1,451 0
2017 1,498 1,493 5
2016 1,382 1,376 6
2015 1,479 1,479 0
2014 1,365 1,365 0
2013 1,387 1,387 0
2012 1,375 1,367 8
2011 1,352 1,345 7
2010 1,366 1,361 5
2009 1,271 1,264 7
2008 1,585 1,577 8
2007 1,446 1,446 0
2006 1,600 1,595 5
2005 1,662 1,662 0
2004 1,937 1,923 14
2003 2,136 2,130 6
2002 2,160 2,160 0
2001 2,361 2,351 10
2000 2,577 2,564 13
1999 2,354 2,343 11
1998 2,273 2,267 6
1997 2,319 2,319 0
1996 2,345 2,339 6
1995 2,366 2,361 5
1994 2,371 2,371 0
1993 2,038 2,031 7
1992 1,914 1,909 5
1991 1,847 1,847 0
1990 2,037 2,029 8
1989 1,979 1,962 17
1988 1,902 1,890 12
1987 1,823 1,815 8
1986 1,682 1,672 10
1985 1,725 1,718 7
1984 1,829 1,818 11
1983 1,743 1,729 14
1982 1,717 1,705 12
1981 1,359 1,349 10
1980 1,282 1,275 7
1979 1,219 1,208 11
1978 1,089 1,083 6
1977 1,173 1,165 8
1976 1,185 1,185 0
1975 1,184 1,177 7
1974 1,102 1,092 10
1973 1,106 1,106 0
1972 945 933 12
1971 967 967 0
1970 839 834 5
1969 805 799 6
1968 762 757 5
1967 757 746 11
1966 782 775 7
1965 882 882 0
1964 933 933 0
1963 1,032 1,023 9
1962 971 971 0
1961 1,165 1,165 0
1960 1,245 1,245 0
1959 1,145 1,134 11
1958 1,135 1,127 8
1957 1,024 1,019 5
1956 969 962 7
1955 925 925 0
1954 843 843 0
1953 871 871 0
1952 864 859 5
1951 815 815 0
1950 754 754 0
1949 749 749 0
1948 726 721 5
1947 812 812 0
1946 758 752 6
1945 638 638 0
1944 657 657 0
1943 767 767 0
1942 703 698 5
1941 667 662 5
1940 603 603 0
1939 637 632 5
1938 640 640 0
1937 706 701 5
1936 706 706 0
1935 707 700 7
1934 722 717 5
1933 655 655 0
1932 797 787 10
1931 840 831 9
1930 815 802 13
1929 863 855 8
1928 847 833 14
1927 929 919 10
1926 971 956 15
1925 938 932 6
1924 1,046 1,039 7
1923 994 989 5
1922 979 979 0
1921 959 951 8
1920 972 961 11
1919 909 901 8
1918 877 877 0
1917 769 759 10
1916 761 753 8
1915 699 699 0
1914 569 563 6
1913 386 381 5
1912 346 346 0
1911 203 203 0
1910 164 159 5
1909 137 137 0
1908 134 134 0
1907 108 108 0
1906 100 100 0
1905 110 110 0
1904 96 96 0
1903 85 85 0
1902 97 97 0
1901 72 72 0
1900 118 118 0
1899 61 61 0
1898 87 87 0
1897 75 75 0
1896 102 102 0
1895 86 86 0
1894 63 63 0
1893 78 78 0
1892 59 59 0
1891 64 64 0
1890 77 77 0
1889 76 76 0
1888 63 63 0
1887 74 74 0
1886 73 73 0
1885 68 68 0
1884 69 69 0
1883 58 58 0
1882 60 60 0
1881 52 52 0
1880 60 60 0

Top States for Clayton (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
CA 86
8%
TX 61
6%
GA 52
5%
PA 50
5%
MI 49
5%
OH 48
5%
FL 45
4%
TN 36
3%
NC 36
3%
NY 33
3%
KY 32
3%
VA 31
3%
WA 31
3%
WI 30
3%
IN 29
3%
MN 28
3%
MO 28
3%
IL 27
3%
SC 25
2%
CO 24
2%
KS 23
2%
OR 22
2%
AL 21
2%
OK 21
2%
IA 19
2%
WV 18
2%
AR 17
2%
UT 16
2%
MD 14
1%
AZ 14
1%
NE 10
1%
ID 10
1%
MS 10
1%
LA 10
1%
CT 8
1%
ME 7
1%
NJ 7
1%
SD 7
1%
NH 6
1%
MT 6
1%
WY 5
0%
VT 5
0%
MA 5
0%