Clay

“Clay soil or earth” — Old English origin

Boy's name · #573 in the US (2025) · 90s

Clay reached its best rank, #259, in 1961 and ranked #573 in 2025. Roughly 40,000 boys have been named Clay since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Around the world: about 1 in 3,900 boys in Scotland (2025) · about 1 in 4,700 boys in Canada (2024) · about 1 in 4,700 boys in Ireland (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 37 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Clays

Clay Aiken — American singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer
Clay Regazzoni — Swiss racecar driver
Clay Shirky — American technology writer
Clay Shaw — American businessman (1913-1974)
Clay Higgins — American politician and reserve law enforcement officer

In stories & tradition

Clay Jensen — Thirteen Reasons Why · 13 Reasons Why
Clay Morrow — Sons of Anarchy
Clay Quartermain — Earth-616

What Clays become

Among 295 notable people named Clay:

Sports figures appear 1.89× more often than among typical names — e.g. Clay Guida, American mixed martial artist (born 1981).

Similar names: Klay · Dexter · Clayton · Jay · Wade · Rudy

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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