2000
#677
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 46,264
First available Census row
Per 100,000 17.15
Uncommon Last name
Clay
An English occupational surname referring to a person who worked with clay, such as a potter or brickmaker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 54,164 Americans carry the last name Clay. That puts it at #710 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,328 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clay surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Clay with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
54K
1 in 6,328
Census rank
#710
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
47K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 47,234 bearers of the surname Clay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 710th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clay, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.3%. The next largest groups are Black (39.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clay
The surname CLAY is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "claeg," meaning "clay" or "earth." It was initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near clay-rich land or worked with clay as a potter or brickmaker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CLAY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named William de la Claye was listed as a landowner in Oxfordshire. The "de la" prefix suggests that this individual resided near a location with clay-rich soil.
During the Middle Ages, variations of the name, such as Cley, Cleye, and Claie, were also found in various records and documents. These spellings reflect the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Thomas de la Clay was recorded as a prominent landowner in Derbyshire. The place name "Clay Cross" in Derbyshire is believed to have derived from his family name and landholdings.
Another early bearer of the name was Sir John Clay, a renowned soldier who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was knighted for his valor on the battlefield by King Edward IV.
During the 17th century, a prominent family with the surname CLAY lived in Nottinghamshire. One member, Jeremiah Clay (1623-1695), was a prominent Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious texts.
In the 18th century, Henry Clay (1777-1852) was an influential American statesman and politician. He served as the ninth Secretary of State and was a leading figure in the Whig Party. His political career spanned several decades, and he was a influential figure in shaping American foreign and domestic policies.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Josiah Clay (1820-1893), an English industrialist and philanthropist. He made significant contributions to the development of the coal and iron industries in the West Midlands region of England.
Throughout history, the surname CLAY has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, soldiers, clergymen, statesmen, and industrialists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clay
Among Census respondents with the surname Clay, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.3%. The next largest groups are Black (39.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Clay bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Clay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.3% · 23,762
- Black or African American39.6% · 18,693
- Two or more races5.2% · 2,472
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 1,606
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 378
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 323
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clay
Clay appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#708
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 48,844
+2,580 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 16.56
Rank movement Down 31 places
2020
#710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 47,234
-1,610 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 15.80
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #677 | 46,264 | 17.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #708 | 48,844 | 16.56 | +2,580 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 31 places |
| 2020 | #710 | 47,234 | 15.80 | -1,610 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 2 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Clay surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #708 | #710 | -0.3% |
| Count | 48,844 | 47,234 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 16.56 | 15.80 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clay bearers went from 48,844 to 47,234 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #708 to #710.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Clay
FAQ
Clay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clay?
Name Census estimates that about 54,164 living Americans carry the surname Clay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,328 residents.
How common is Clay?
Clay ranks #710 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 16 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 47,234 people with the surname Clay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (54,164), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 16 of them to have the surname Clay.
Has Clay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clay went from 48,844 recorded bearers to 47,234. That is a decrease of 1,610 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #708 to #710.
What does the Census say about the background of Clay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clay, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.3%. The next largest groups are Black (39.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Clay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.3% (23,762 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.3%), Black (39.6%), Two or More Races (5.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Clay (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Clay mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who worked with clay, such as a potter or brickmaker. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Clay (15.80 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Clay?
Find out how common the surname Clay is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.