Boy nameCurrently #543 in the USRising
Clay
//ˈkleɪ//
1 syllablePeak year: 19604 lettersStarts with C
Meaning & origin
We're still researching Clay's meaning
We don't have a verified origin story for this name yet — we'd rather leave it blank than make one up. Check back soon, or explore the popularity data below in the meantime.
Clay's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Clay |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 18 |
| 1881 | 24 |
| 1882 | 17 |
| 1883 | 25 |
| 1884 | 32 |
| 1885 | 18 |
| 1886 | 28 |
| 1887 | 23 |
| 1888 | 31 |
| 1889 | 29 |
| 1890 | 32 |
| 1891 | 17 |
| 1892 | 23 |
| 1893 | 33 |
| 1894 | 42 |
| 1895 | 33 |
| 1896 | 30 |
| 1897 | 25 |
| 1898 | 40 |
| 1899 | 23 |
| 1900 | 41 |
| 1901 | 21 |
| 1902 | 33 |
| 1903 | 27 |
| 1904 | 32 |
| 1905 | 34 |
| 1906 | 36 |
| 1907 | 31 |
| 1908 | 33 |
| 1909 | 35 |
| 1910 | 28 |
| 1911 | 52 |
| 1912 | 80 |
| 1913 | 89 |
| 1914 | 107 |
| 1915 | 139 |
| 1916 | 138 |
| 1917 | 131 |
| 1918 | 146 |
| 1919 | 128 |
| 1920 | 157 |
| 1921 | 167 |
| 1922 | 194 |
| 1923 | 146 |
| 1924 | 157 |
| 1925 | 144 |
| 1926 | 137 |
| 1927 | 164 |
| 1928 | 135 |
| 1929 | 107 |
| 1930 | 138 |
| 1931 | 117 |
| 1932 | 123 |
| 1933 | 123 |
| 1934 | 117 |
| 1935 | 110 |
| 1936 | 131 |
| 1937 | 123 |
| 1938 | 124 |
| 1939 | 130 |
| 1940 | 128 |
| 1941 | 112 |
| 1942 | 137 |
| 1943 | 136 |
| 1944 | 116 |
| 1945 | 97 |
| 1946 | 114 |
| 1947 | 145 |
| 1948 | 171 |
| 1949 | 176 |
| 1950 | 187 |
| 1951 | 225 |
| 1952 | 274 |
| 1953 | 270 |
| 1954 | 348 |
| 1955 | 431 |
| 1956 | 485 |
| 1957 | 605 |
| 1958 | 730 |
| 1959 | 826 |
| 1960 | 911 |
| 1961 | 900 |
| 1962 | 705 |
| 1963 | 656 |
| 1964 | 571 |
| 1965 | 440 |
| 1966 | 365 |
| 1967 | 361 |
| 1968 | 389 |
| 1969 | 432 |
| 1970 | 461 |
| 1971 | 520 |
| 1972 | 439 |
| 1973 | 477 |
| 1974 | 422 |
| 1975 | 454 |
| 1976 | 435 |
| 1977 | 421 |
| 1978 | 378 |
| 1979 | 345 |
| 1980 | 356 |
| 1981 | 333 |
| 1982 | 345 |
| 1983 | 373 |
| 1984 | 382 |
| 1985 | 416 |
| 1986 | 412 |
| 1987 | 466 |
| 1988 | 488 |
| 1989 | 451 |
| 1990 | 494 |
| 1991 | 465 |
| 1992 | 433 |
| 1993 | 494 |
| 1994 | 689 |
| 1995 | 714 |
| 1996 | 648 |
| 1997 | 643 |
| 1998 | 630 |
| 1999 | 603 |
| 2000 | 641 |
| 2001 | 573 |
| 2002 | 597 |
| 2003 | 519 |
| 2004 | 388 |
| 2005 | 330 |
| 2006 | 309 |
| 2007 | 281 |
| 2008 | 250 |
| 2009 | 213 |
| 2010 | 272 |
| 2011 | 316 |
| 2012 | 322 |
| 2013 | 321 |
| 2014 | 269 |
| 2015 | 342 |
| 2016 | 338 |
| 2017 | 355 |
| 2018 | 353 |
| 2019 | 376 |
| 2020 | 422 |
| 2021 | 451 |
| 2022 | 451 |
| 2023 | 492 |
| 2024 | 550 |
Clay through the decades
- Clay peaked in 1960, when 911 babies were named Clay in the US.
- The 1990s were Clay's strongest decade, averaging 581 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Clay has risen 43% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Clay currently ranks #543 in the US and is on the rise.