Clay
Earth or soil; signifies stability and groundedness.
How does Clay feel alongside your favorites? Talk through the sound, meaning and fit with your family.
Clay meaning & origin
Clay is listed in our catalog as a boy name. Its listed meaning is "Earth or soil; signifies stability and groundedness.". Listed origin: English.
Pronunciation
KLAY
Catalog phonetic spelling
Popularity
In 2024, Clay ranked #543 in US Social Security name records for male births. This is the latest verified year in our catalog, not a live ranking.
Clay popularity by year
| Birth year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2020 | #643 |
| 2021 | #617 |
| 2022 | #619 |
| 2023 | #581 |
| 2024 | #543 |
Source: Social Security Administration. US data is not a worldwide measure of usage. Missing years are not zero births.
Middle Name Ideas
- Clay James
- Clay Gray
- Clay Finn
Famous Namesakes
- Clay Aiken (singer)
- Clay Matthews (NFL player)
Sources & notes
Meanings, origins, pronunciations, and namesakes are catalog entries that have not yet completed source-by-source editorial review. Nicknames and middle-name pairings are ideas to try, not usage statistics. We show birth-name ranks only when the record includes source-file provenance; missing data is not evidence of rarity.
The pronunciation button uses your device's speech voice, not a native-speaker recording.
Variants & Alternate Spellings of Clay
Turn a name you like into a shortlist.
Compare sound, try the full name aloud, and find the names you want to come back to.
Frequently Asked Questions About Clay
What does the name Clay mean?
Clay is listed in our catalog as a boy name. Its listed meaning is "Earth or soil; signifies stability and groundedness.". Listed origin: English.
How do you pronounce Clay?
Our catalog's pronunciation guide is KLAY. Pronunciation can vary by language and family.
How popular is the name Clay?
In 2024, Clay ranked #543 in US Social Security name records for male births. This is the latest verified year in our catalog, not a live ranking.
What middle names could work with Clay?
Try Clay James, Clay Gray, Clay Finn aloud with your surname. These pairings are subjective suggestions.
More English Boy's Names
Other English names you might love
Browse Related Collections
Still deciding on the perfect name?
Save Clay to your shortlist, swipe through thousands of names, and find the one you and your partner both love.