Klay
Klay was the 1882nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 84 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 1632nd; the most babies were born in 2022 (103). Over the last ten years it has moved up 275 places. More babies were named Klay in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Clay) clay; clay worker (surname) · English, Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,882 boys, down 190 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 84boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022103 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,616babies recorded
What does the name Klay mean?
Klay is a spelling of Clay, pronounced the same way, so it shares Clay's meaning and origin.
Clay is an English surname from Middle English clei and Old English clǣg, clay. Wiktionary says it was either an occupational name for someone who worked clay or a name for someone who lived on clay soil. Wiktionary also lists Clay as a short form of Clayton. The American Heritage Dictionary confirms the Old English word clǣg behind clay. As a boys' name it has been used in the US since the 19th century.
clǣg (Old English, “clay”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Clayton, Clayborne.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Clay' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., entry 'clay' (etymology), HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Klay popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,882 | 84 |
| 2020 | #1,692 | 93 |
| 2010 | #7,363 | 11 |
| 2000 | #3,121 | 28 |
| 1990 | #3,398 | 18 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | #3,688 | 8 |
| 1960 | #2,780 | 10 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Klay, counting every spelling?
Klay is a spelling of Clay, a name family that ranked #502 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,882 for Klay on its own. Together these spellings went to 599 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | 515 | #573 | 2,458 |
| Klay | 84 | #1,882 | 426 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Klay?
84 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Klay (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Klay born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 100 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Klay.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Klay?
About 1,600 people born in the US named Klay are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 26. That makes Klay a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Klay by state
How common Klay was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 41 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Klay: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Klay, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Klay
What does Klay mean?
Klay is a spelling of Clay, which means “clay; clay worker (surname)” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Klay?
Klay was the 1882nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 84 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 1632nd; the most babies were born in 2022 (103). Over the last ten years it has moved up 275 places. More babies were named Klay in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Klay a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Klay in the US.
Where is Klay most popular?
In 2021–2025, Klay was most common in California (0.07 per 1,000 boys), followed by Washington and Utah.