Clay
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KLAY
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #834 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #573 for boys
Clay is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “clay”. In 2025 it ranked 834th for boys in the UK (43 babies) and 573rd for boys in the US (515 babies).
What does Clay mean?
English: English surname and word; also short for Clayton
“clay”
Originally a surname for someone who lived on clay soil, and often a short form of Clayton.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Clay a girl's or a boy's name?
Clay is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 43 boys in the UK and 515 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Clay in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #834among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 43about 1 in 7,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 17% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 43 boys in the UK were named Clay, making it the 834th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 628th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 74 boys.
Half of all the boys named Clay in the UK since 1996 were born between 2012 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 61 boys in the UK were given Clay or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #605, up from #834 for this spelling alone.
- Clay 43
- Klay 18
Among boys in 2025, it was 845th in England and Wales and 560th in Scotland.
Clay in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 43 | #834 |
| 2024 | 68 | #618 |
| 2023 | 43 | #827 |
| 2022 | 60 | #662 |
| 2021 | 74 | #585 |
| 2020 | 63 | #628 |
| 2019 | 68 | #606 |
| 2018 | 55 | #698 |
| 2017 | 66 | #624 |
| 2016 | 56 | #691 |
| 2015 | 48 | #747 |
| 2014 | 30 | #1,031 |
| 2013 | 33 | #960 |
| 2012 | 40 | #852 |
| 2011 | 31 | #993 |
| 2010 | 21 | #1,288 |
| 2009 | 16 | #1,507 |
| 2008 | 13 | #1,696 |
| 2007 | 11 | #1,848 |
| 2006 | 8 | #2,193 |
| 2005 | 17 | #1,267 |
| 2004 | 14 | #1,348 |
| 2003 | 13 | #1,328 |
| 2002 | 10 | #1,490 |
| 2001 | 14 | #1,149 |
| 2000 | 6 | #1,977 |
| 1999 | 8 | #1,582 |
| 1998 | 14 | #1,062 |
| 1997 | 9 | #1,412 |
| 1996 | 6 | #1,840 |
How popular is Clay in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #573among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 515about 1 in 3,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 36% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 515 boys in the US were named Clay, making it the 573rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 644th. Its busiest year was 1960, with 904 boys.
Half of all the boys named Clay in the US since 1880 were born between 1959 and 2000, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 599 boys in the US were given Clay or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #503, up from #573 for this spelling alone.
- Clay 515
- Klay 84
Clay in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 515 | #573 |
| 2024 | 545 | #544 |
| 2023 | 494 | #581 |
| 2022 | 453 | #618 |
| 2021 | 451 | #617 |
| 2020 | 417 | #644 |
| 2019 | 376 | #682 |
| 2018 | 353 | #688 |
| 2017 | 355 | #694 |
| 2016 | 339 | #723 |
| 2015 | 342 | #720 |
| 2014 | 269 | #840 |
| 2013 | 321 | #729 |
| 2012 | 322 | #726 |
| 2011 | 316 | #720 |
| 2010 | 273 | #793 |
| 2009 | 213 | #948 |
| 2008 | 250 | #853 |
| 2007 | 281 | #775 |
| 2006 | 309 | #707 |
| 2005 | 330 | #654 |
| 2004 | 383 | #582 |
| 2003 | 519 | #478 |
| 2002 | 597 | #417 |
| 2001 | 573 | #427 |
| 2000 | 641 | #396 |
| 1999 | 603 | #403 |
| 1998 | 623 | #393 |
| 1997 | 643 | #379 |
| 1996 | 648 | #369 |
| 1995 | 714 | #343 |
| 1994 | 689 | #353 |
| 1993 | 494 | #444 |
| 1992 | 433 | #484 |
| 1991 | 465 | #459 |
| 1990 | 494 | #444 |
| 1989 | 451 | #444 |
| 1988 | 488 | #406 |
| 1987 | 467 | #402 |
| 1986 | 412 | #423 |
| 1985 | 416 | #418 |
| 1984 | 380 | #425 |
| 1983 | 373 | #424 |
| 1982 | 345 | #458 |
| 1981 | 333 | #455 |
| 1980 | 350 | #443 |
| 1979 | 345 | #431 |
| 1978 | 369 | #401 |
| 1977 | 421 | #382 |
| 1976 | 434 | #367 |
| 1975 | 454 | #365 |
| 1974 | 422 | #373 |
| 1973 | 470 | #354 |
| 1972 | 439 | #374 |
| 1971 | 520 | #352 |
| 1970 | 456 | #379 |
| 1969 | 431 | #378 |
| 1968 | 389 | #394 |
| 1967 | 361 | #403 |
| 1966 | 360 | #395 |
| 1965 | 440 | #369 |
| 1964 | 571 | #328 |
| 1963 | 656 | #303 |
| 1962 | 705 | #288 |
| 1961 | 900 | #259 |
| 1960 | 904 | #265 |
| 1959 | 826 | #276 |
| 1958 | 723 | #284 |
| 1957 | 594 | #313 |
| 1956 | 485 | #339 |
| 1955 | 426 | #349 |
| 1954 | 340 | #387 |
| 1953 | 270 | #430 |
| 1952 | 267 | #425 |
| 1951 | 225 | #449 |
| 1950 | 180 | #496 |
| 1949 | 176 | #501 |
| 1948 | 171 | #505 |
| 1947 | 145 | #561 |
| 1946 | 114 | #603 |
| 1945 | 97 | #612 |
| 1944 | 110 | #585 |
| 1943 | 125 | #568 |
| 1942 | 123 | #553 |
| 1941 | 106 | #576 |
| 1940 | 128 | #510 |
| 1939 | 122 | #514 |
| 1938 | 113 | #546 |
| 1937 | 117 | #536 |
| 1936 | 124 | #509 |
| 1935 | 110 | #548 |
| 1934 | 117 | #545 |
| 1933 | 114 | #532 |
| 1932 | 123 | #524 |
| 1931 | 117 | #539 |
| 1930 | 131 | #523 |
| 1929 | 107 | #578 |
| 1928 | 135 | #518 |
| 1927 | 155 | #485 |
| 1926 | 131 | #528 |
| 1925 | 144 | #506 |
| 1924 | 151 | #508 |
| 1923 | 134 | #524 |
| 1922 | 189 | #442 |
| 1921 | 160 | #489 |
| 1920 | 147 | #498 |
| 1919 | 128 | #526 |
| 1918 | 146 | #495 |
| 1917 | 125 | #514 |
| 1916 | 133 | #494 |
| 1915 | 132 | #485 |
| 1914 | 107 | #466 |
| 1913 | 89 | #460 |
| 1912 | 75 | #456 |
| 1911 | 52 | #395 |
| 1910 | 28 | #537 |
| 1909 | 35 | #419 |
| 1908 | 33 | #413 |
| 1907 | 31 | #405 |
| 1906 | 36 | #346 |
| 1905 | 34 | #355 |
| 1904 | 32 | #354 |
| 1903 | 27 | #370 |
| 1902 | 33 | #337 |
| 1901 | 21 | #407 |
| 1900 | 41 | #337 |
| 1899 | 23 | #384 |
| 1898 | 40 | #288 |
| 1897 | 25 | #375 |
| 1896 | 30 | #352 |
| 1895 | 33 | #316 |
| 1894 | 42 | #271 |
| 1893 | 33 | #300 |
| 1892 | 23 | #394 |
| 1891 | 11 | #564 |
| 1890 | 32 | #302 |
| 1889 | 29 | #322 |
| 1888 | 31 | #324 |
| 1887 | 23 | #340 |
| 1886 | 28 | #321 |
| 1885 | 18 | #422 |
| 1884 | 32 | #306 |
| 1883 | 25 | #331 |
| 1882 | 17 | #437 |
| 1881 | 24 | #332 |
| 1880 | 18 | #403 |
Names like Clay
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Cody Casey Cole Blake Sonny Riley Rory Carter Brody Hunter Caleb Frankie
Other spellings of Clay
Names related to Clay
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie Hazel
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Clay: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/clay, updated 20 October 2026.