How to say it
CLAY · ton
/ˈkleɪ.tən/
Masculine
Clayton
Settlement on clay
What it means
An English place name, 'town on clay ground,' from Old English clæg plus tun.
Clayton is an English place and surname name, 'a town built on clay,' from clæg and tun. Like Preston and Weston it moved up front as a given name, with the bonus that it folds down to the rugged, Western-sounding short Clay. It carries a steady, grounded, all-American feel and has stayed in quiet use for over a century. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw is a current bearer.
Popularity over time
peaked at #147 in 1988, currently #300 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Clay is the natural short and stands on its own.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Clayton Kershaw Hall-of-Fame-bound Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher
Spelling variants
- Claiton
- Klayton
Names with the same feeling
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