Clay
Last seen for girls in 2024 at #15,293 · #573 for boys in 2025, 515 births
Given to boys 99.3% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1961 · 900 births
- Debut · boys
- 18 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 40,252since 1880
Clay over time
Rank among boys' names. Clay has never cracked the top 200 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #573 | 515 | |
| 2024 | #15,293 | 5 | #544 | 545 |
| 2023 | — | #581 | 494 | |
| 2022 | — | #618 | 453 | |
| 2021 | — | #617 | 451 | |
| 2020 | #15,088 | 5 | #644 | 417 |
| 2019 | — | #682 | 376 | |
| 2018 | — | #688 | 353 | |
| 2017 | — | #694 | 355 | |
| 2016 | — | #723 | 339 | |
| 2015 | — | #720 | 342 | |
| 2014 | — | #840 | 269 | |
| 2013 | — | #729 | 321 | |
| 2012 | — | #726 | 322 | |
| 2011 | — | #720 | 316 | |
| 2010 | — | #793 | 273 | |
| 2009 | — | #948 | 213 | |
| 2008 | — | #853 | 250 | |
| 2007 | — | #775 | 281 | |
| 2006 | — | #707 | 309 | |
| 2005 | — | #654 | 330 | |
| 2004 | #16,099 | 5 | #582 | 383 |
| 2003 | — | #478 | 519 | |
| 2002 | — | #417 | 597 | |
| 2001 | — | #427 | 573 | |
| 2000 | — | #396 | 641 | |
| 1999 | — | #403 | 603 | |
| 1998 | #11,138 | 7 | #393 | 623 |
| 1997 | — | #379 | 643 | |
| 1996 | — | #369 | 648 | |
| 1995 | — | #343 | 714 | |
| 1994 | — | #353 | 689 | |
| 1993 | — | #444 | 494 | |
| 1992 | — | #484 | 433 | |
| 1991 | — | #459 | 465 | |
| 1990 | — | #445 | 494 | |
| 1989 | — | #444 | 451 | |
| 1988 | — | #406 | 488 | |
| 1987 | — | #402 | 467 | |
| 1986 | — | #423 | 412 | |
| 1985 | — | #418 | 416 | |
| 1984 | — | #425 | 380 | |
| 1983 | — | #424 | 373 | |
| 1982 | — | #458 | 345 | |
| 1981 | — | #455 | 333 | |
| 1980 | #9,095 | 6 | #443 | 350 |
| 1979 | — | #431 | 345 | |
| 1978 | #6,385 | 9 | #401 | 369 |
| 1977 | — | #382 | 421 | |
| 1976 | — | #367 | 434 | |
| 1975 | — | #365 | 454 | |
| 1974 | — | #373 | 422 | |
| 1973 | #8,423 | 5 | #354 | 470 |
| 1972 | — | #374 | 439 | |
| 1971 | — | #352 | 520 | |
| 1970 | #7,995 | 5 | #379 | 456 |
| 1969 | — | #378 | 431 | |
| 1968 | — | #394 | 389 | |
| 1967 | — | #403 | 361 | |
| 1966 | #6,564 | 5 | #395 | 360 |
| 1965 | — | #369 | 440 | |
| 1964 | — | #328 | 571 | |
| 1963 | — | #303 | 656 | |
| 1962 | — | #288 | 705 | |
| 1961 | — | #259 | 900 | |
| 1960 | #5,168 | 7 | #265 | 904 |
| 1959 | — | #276 | 826 | |
| 1958 | #4,890 | 7 | #284 | 723 |
| 1957 | #3,696 | 11 | #313 | 594 |
| 1956 | — | #339 | 485 | |
| 1955 | #5,828 | 5 | #350 | 426 |
| 1954 | #4,278 | 8 | #388 | 340 |
| 1953 | — | #431 | 270 | |
| 1952 | #4,483 | 7 | #426 | 267 |
| 1951 | — | #450 | 225 | |
| 1950 | #4,315 | 7 | #497 | 180 |
| 1949 | — | #502 | 176 | |
| 1948 | — | #505 | 171 | |
| 1947 | — | #561 | 145 | |
| 1946 | — | #603 | 114 | |
| 1945 | — | #612 | 97 | |
| 1944 | #4,054 | 6 | #585 | 110 |
| 1943 | #2,861 | 11 | #568 | 125 |
| 1942 | #2,416 | 14 | #553 | 123 |
| 1941 | #3,954 | 6 | #576 | 106 |
| 1940 | — | #510 | 128 | |
| 1939 | #3,145 | 8 | #514 | 122 |
| 1938 | #2,579 | 11 | #546 | 113 |
| 1937 | #3,800 | 6 | #536 | 117 |
| 1936 | #3,376 | 7 | #509 | 124 |
| 1935 | — | #548 | 110 | |
| 1934 | — | #545 | 117 | |
| 1933 | #2,868 | 9 | #532 | 114 |
| 1932 | — | #524 | 123 | |
| 1931 | — | #539 | 117 | |
| 1930 | #3,658 | 7 | #523 | 131 |
| 1929 | — | #578 | 107 | |
| 1928 | — | #518 | 135 | |
| 1927 | #3,284 | 9 | #485 | 155 |
| 1926 | #4,306 | 6 | #528 | 131 |
| 1925 | — | #506 | 144 | |
| 1924 | #4,434 | 6 | #508 | 151 |
| 1923 | #2,732 | 12 | #524 | 134 |
| 1922 | #5,009 | 5 | #442 | 189 |
| 1921 | #4,023 | 7 | #489 | 160 |
| 1920 | #3,097 | 10 | #498 | 147 |
| 1919 | — | #526 | 128 | |
| 1918 | — | #495 | 146 | |
| 1917 | #4,083 | 6 | #514 | 125 |
| 1916 | #4,417 | 5 | #494 | 133 |
| 1915 | #3,434 | 7 | #485 | 132 |
| 1914 | — | #466 | 107 | |
| 1913 | — | #460 | 89 | |
| 1912 | #2,979 | 5 | #456 | 75 |
| 1911 | — | #395 | 52 | |
| 1910 | — | #537 | 28 | |
| 1909 | — | #419 | 35 | |
| 1908 | — | #413 | 33 | |
| 1907 | — | #405 | 31 | |
| 1906 | — | #346 | 36 | |
| 1905 | — | #355 | 34 | |
| 1904 | — | #354 | 32 | |
| 1903 | — | #370 | 27 | |
| 1902 | — | #337 | 33 | |
| 1901 | — | #407 | 21 | |
| 1900 | — | #337 | 41 | |
| 1899 | — | #384 | 23 | |
| 1898 | — | #288 | 40 | |
| 1897 | — | #375 | 25 | |
| 1896 | — | #352 | 30 | |
| 1895 | — | #316 | 33 | |
| 1894 | — | #271 | 42 | |
| 1893 | — | #300 | 33 | |
| 1892 | — | #394 | 23 | |
| 1891 | #1,213 | 6 | #564 | 11 |
| 1890 | — | #302 | 32 | |
| 1889 | — | #322 | 29 | |
| 1888 | — | #324 | 31 | |
| 1887 | — | #340 | 23 | |
| 1886 | — | #321 | 28 | |
| 1885 | — | #422 | 18 | |
| 1884 | — | #306 | 32 | |
| 1883 | — | #331 | 25 | |
| 1882 | — | #437 | 17 | |
| 1881 | — | #332 | 24 | |
| 1880 | — | #403 | 18 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Clay was already there! It came in at #403, and was given to 18 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1891, when fewer than 12 boys a year got the name.
Where Clay is popular in 1938
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Kentucky#238 · 1 in 1,998
- North Carolina#290 · 1 in 2,976
- Tennessee#293 · 1 in 3,351
- Missouri#304 · 1 in 3,970
- Arkansas#305 · 1 in 2,600
Best ever in a state: #93 in Wyoming, 1988.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | #238 | 14 | 1 in 1,998 |
| North Carolina | #290 | 12 | 1 in 2,976 |
| Tennessee | #293 | 8 | 1 in 3,351 |
| Missouri | #304 | 7 | 1 in 3,970 |
| Arkansas | #305 | 7 | 1 in 2,600 |
| Mississippi | #327 | 7 | 1 in 3,064 |
| Ohio | #440 | 5 | 1 in 10,543 |
| Texas | #453 | 14 | 1 in 4,226 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
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| Montana | — | — | — |
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| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Clay
- 29 spots since 2024 (#544 → #573)
- 71 spots since 2020 (#644 → #573)
- 147 spots since 2015 (#720 → #573)
- Biggest jump: 170 spots in 1892 (#564 → #394)
- Biggest drop: 262 spots in 1891 (#302 → #564)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1961 at #259 (900 births)
- Births halved by 1965, 4 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Highest: 1 in 2,359 boys born in 1960 were named Clay (0.04%)
- Latest: 1 in 3,317 boys born in 2025 (0.03%)
- Its best rank, #259 in 1961, was only 1 in 2,360 (0.04%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 14.4% of all boys named Clay (5,806) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 245 | #306 (1884) | #354 |
| 1890s | 292 | #271 (1894) | #355 |
| 1900s | 323 | #337 (1900) | #374 |
| 1910s | 1,015 | #395 (1911) | #483 |
| 1920s | 1,453 | #442 (1922) | #508 |
| 1930s | 1,188 | #509 (1936) | #532 |
| 1940s | 1,295 | #502 (1949) | #558 |
| 1950s | 4,336 | #276 (1959) | #375 |
| 1960s | 5,717 | #259 (1961) | #338 |
| 1970s | 4,330 | #352 (1971) | #378 |
| 1980s | 4,015 | #402 (1987) | #430 |
| 1990s | 5,806 | #343 (1995) | #407 |
| 2000s | 4,096 | #396 (2000) | #624 |
| 2010s | 3,266 | #682 (2019) | #732 |
| 2020s | 2,875 | #544 (2024) | #596 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Clay in 1938
Top girls' names in 1938
Top boys' names in 1938
More about 1938
girls
1,103,456 girls got a published name in 1938; 1 in 100,314 of them was named Clay, which outranked 48.4% of the 4,995 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #2,447Wyoma12
- #2,447Yolande12
- #2,447Zeola12
- #2,579Clay11
- #2,579Aletta11
- #2,579Almarie11
- #2,579Almer11
- #2,730Adair10
- #2,730Adelaida10
- #2,730Adline10
Tied with 150 names at #2,579; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,109,147 boys got a published name in 1938; 1 in 9,815 of them was named Clay, which outranked 86.5% of the 4,035 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.