Clay Surname
Approximately 82,137 people bear this surname
Clay Surname Definition:
This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the clay,' from residence by a clayey spot. The instances below are decisive in respect of this derivation.
Alicia in le Clay, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.
William del Cley, Lincolnshire, ibid.
Read More About This SurnameClay Surname Distribution Map
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 62,296 | 1:5,818 | 681 |
| England | 10,189 | 1:5,468 | 774 |
| Australia | 2,422 | 1:11,146 | 1,647 |
| Canada | 1,180 | 1:31,225 | 4,069 |
| France | 988 | 1:67,229 | 9,289 |
| New Zealand | 552 | 1:8,203 | 1,400 |
| Ghana | 485 | 1:55,713 | 5,980 |
| Liberia | 421 | 1:10,472 | 1,158 |
| South Africa | 317 | 1:170,908 | 18,978 |
| Wales | 310 | 1:9,982 | 1,105 |
| Egypt | 305 | 1:301,429 | 19,796 |
| Nigeria | 284 | 1:623,742 | 29,581 |
| Kenya | 214 | 1:215,794 | 15,347 |
| Israel | 202 | 1:42,365 | 5,758 |
| Tanzania | 181 | 1:292,495 | 22,657 |
| Scotland | 172 | 1:31,127 | 3,168 |
| Iraq | 147 | 1:238,243 | 5,207 |
| Netherlands | 144 | 1:117,272 | 18,528 |
| Papua New Guinea | 118 | 1:69,099 | 9,015 |
| Thailand | 91 | 1:776,246 | 126,162 |
| Germany | 83 | 1:969,945 | 67,438 |
| Brazil | 75 | 1:2,854,324 | 84,307 |
| Solomon Islands | 65 | 1:8,924 | 1,489 |
| Philippines | 62 | 1:1,632,875 | 108,878 |
| India | 58 | 1:13,225,265 | 229,403 |
| Jamaica | 57 | 1:50,350 | 2,926 |
| Spain | 51 | 1:916,707 | 35,562 |
| Singapore | 47 | 1:117,185 | 4,783 |
| Guyana | 43 | 1:17,726 | 2,302 |
| Ireland | 40 | 1:117,723 | 5,959 |
| Malaysia | 40 | 1:737,356 | 34,564 |
| Portugal | 38 | 1:274,164 | 10,086 |
| Northern Ireland | 33 | 1:55,910 | 4,502 |
| United Arab Emirates | 33 | 1:277,645 | 19,302 |
| DR Congo | 27 | 1:2,736,280 | 122,818 |
| Isle of Man | 24 | 1:3,576 | 767 |
| Belgium | 23 | 1:499,854 | 48,667 |
| Denmark | 21 | 1:268,796 | 20,394 |
| Guam | 21 | 1:7,625 | 1,143 |
| Switzerland | 21 | 1:391,091 | 29,271 |
| Indonesia | 17 | 1:7,779,364 | 314,803 |
| Nicaragua | 17 | 1:354,182 | 3,204 |
| Ivory Coast | 16 | 1:1,441,952 | 30,506 |
| Iran | 15 | 1:5,118,835 | 123,814 |
| Mexico | 15 | 1:8,275,080 | 36,578 |
| Austria | 13 | 1:655,033 | 58,041 |
| Sweden | 13 | 1:757,443 | 56,422 |
| Bermuda | 12 | 1:5,440 | 820 |
| Italy | 11 | 1:5,559,699 | 110,230 |
| China | 10 | 1:136,732,157 | 7,199 |
| Ecuador | 9 | 1:1,767,316 | 20,027 |
| Norway | 8 | 1:642,786 | 47,258 |
| Hong Kong | 6 | 1:1,222,580 | 5,222 |
| Uganda | 5 | 1:7,807,856 | 134,263 |
| Fiji | 4 | 1:223,598 | 2,635 |
| Myanmar | 4 | 1:12,984,496 | 1,309 |
| Namibia | 4 | 1:602,350 | 12,421 |
| Peru | 4 | 1:7,946,031 | 41,846 |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 | 1:7,713,954 | 37,548 |
| United States Virgin Islands | 4 | 1:27,594 | 3,273 |
| Afghanistan | 3 | 1:10,717,728 | 35,605 |
| Cambodia | 3 | 1:5,162,382 | 10,688 |
| Cameroon | 3 | 1:6,923,023 | 143,724 |
| Costa Rica | 3 | 1:1,593,356 | 8,177 |
| Finland | 3 | 1:1,832,234 | 57,803 |
| Japan | 3 | 1:42,614,764 | 59,022 |
| Taiwan | 3 | 1:7,814,915 | 41,694 |
| Argentina | 2 | 1:21,371,707 | 253,176 |
| Greece | 2 | 1:5,539,895 | 129,142 |
| South Korea | 2 | 1:25,620,128 | 4,175 |
| Turkey | 2 | 1:38,910,711 | 171,901 |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 1:7,719,120 | 118,432 |
| American Samoa | 1 | 1:55,758 | 3,072 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1 | 1:99,171 | 2,137 |
| Bahamas | 1 | 1:391,751 | 2,737 |
| Benin | 1 | 1:10,335,602 | 103,742 |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1:6,978,905 | 86,260 |
| Burkina Faso | 1 | 1:18,352,100 | 30,051 |
| Colombia | 1 | 1:47,774,072 | 44,230 |
| Cook Islands | 1 | 1:18,179 | 1,485 |
| Cuba | 1 | 1:11,522,716 | 17,380 |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | 1:10,432,932 | 36,508 |
| Grenada | 1 | 1:108,535 | 1,793 |
| Guatemala | 1 | 1:16,082,668 | 12,169 |
| Haiti | 1 | 1:10,683,907 | 24,607 |
| Honduras | 1 | 1:8,816,442 | 9,272 |
| Jersey | 1 | 1:99,202 | 6,620 |
| Kuwait | 1 | 1:3,800,694 | 27,187 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 1:5,637,083 | 32,436 |
| Luxembourg | 1 | 1:580,542 | 15,155 |
| Macau | 1 | 1:601,630 | 1,582 |
| Malta | 1 | 1:430,272 | 3,380 |
| Marshall Islands | 1 | 1:51,821 | 2,326 |
| Mauritius | 1 | 1:1,293,417 | 16,552 |
| Morocco | 1 | 1:34,476,099 | 111,471 |
| Oman | 1 | 1:3,687,971 | 14,390 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 1:178,643,885 | 213,220 |
| Panama | 1 | 1:3,912,258 | 17,195 |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | 1:3,550,139 | 9,109 |
| Qatar | 1 | 1:2,357,999 | 76,403 |
| Romania | 1 | 1:20,077,870 | 89,414 |
| Somalia | 1 | 1:13,452,061 | 9,224 |
| Sudan | 1 | 1:37,510,195 | 14,259 |
| Uruguay | 1 | 1:3,431,758 | 38,295 |
| Venezuela | 1 | 1:30,204,077 | 85,459 |
| Vietnam | 1 | 1:92,646,054 | 8,382 |
| Yemen | 1 | 1:26,425,294 | 55,147 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 88 | 1:50,339 | 4,237 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 6,025 | 1:4,046 | 584 |
| Wales | 99 | 1:15,843 | 942 |
| Scotland | 38 | 1:98,506 | 4,956 |
| Isle of Man | 1 | 1:54,269 | 2,077 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 12,595 | 1:3,987 | 489 |
Clay (67,281) may also be a first name.
Clay Surname Meaning
From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history
This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the clay,' from residence by a clayey spot. The instances below are decisive in respect of this derivation.
Alicia in le Clay, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.
William del Cley, Lincolnshire, ibid.
Robert del Clay, Lincolnshire, ibid.
Henry atte Cleygh, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.
Agnes del Clay, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.
Johannes del Clay, 1379: ibid.
Adam del Clay, 1379: Poll Tax of Howdenshire.
1577. Baptised — Thomas, s. Edward Claye: St. James, Clerkenwell.
1583. William Mitchell and Elizabeth Claye, widow: Marriage Lic. (London).
1592. Married — William Jones and Anne Claye, widow: St. Peter, Cornhill.
(English) Dweller at the Clayey Place [Middle English clay, cley, Old English clœg (= Danish klæg), clay] Alice in le Clay.—Hundred Rolls Thomas de la Cley.—Hundred Rolls
Several localities bear this name, but the surname must sometimes have been adopted from residence in a clayey district. The forms in the H.R. are Cley, Clai, in le Clay, del Clay, and de la Cleye. Le Clayere may be synonymous, although a Cleymanne was, according to the Promptorium Parvulorum, a dauber or plasterer.
Local. A town of France in Seine. A lake on the isle of Lewis, Scotland. Glee, hills in Wales. Cle, left—handed, a place lying to the left, in relation to another place. Cledh, cloid, and cladd, in the Gaelic, Welsh, and British, signify a ditch, a trench, a wall; cladh, a church—yard; cledd, Welsh, a sword; Gaelic, claiheamb, from which we have Claymore, a large sword. The same word in Welsh and Gaelic that signifies a river is often applied to a sword, from their resemblance in glittering brightness.
From Claye, near Meaux. Peter de Claie occurs 1194, and Stephen de Claie 1199 in England (Palgr. Rot. Cur. Regis). Robert de Cladio held two fees in Oxford 1165 (Liber Niger). Henry de C. of York t. Henry II. (Mon. ii. 554). 1324 Thomas de C. (Parliamentary Writs). The name is borne by the baronets Clay.
A location name in Normandy. Orfrom the Danish, Klee; a personal name.
Clay has long been a Notts surname. It was represented in the parish of Hayton in the time of Henry VII. (Th.). Hercules Clay was a mayor of Newark in the reign of Charles I. (S.), and Clay is still a Newark name. The Clays of Southwell during last century carried their pedigree back 200 years (Rastall's "Southwell"), and their name is yet in the town. Six centuries ago Clay was a common name in the east of England, especially in Essex, Lincolnshire, Hunts, Cambridgeshire, and Beds (H. R.). It is still well established in Lincolnshire, as well as in Notts and Derbyshire.
Clay Demographics
Clay Religious Adherence
in Ireland
Religious Adherence
in Ireland
Clay Last Name Facts
Where Does The Last Name Clay Come From? nationality or country of origin
The last name Clay (Arabic: كلاي) occurs in The United States more than any other country or territory. It may occur as a variant:. For other potential spellings of this surname click here.
How Common Is The Last Name Clay? popularity and diffusion
This last name is the 6,880th most widespread surname on a global scale. It is borne by approximately 1 in 88,724 people. The surname is primarily found in The Americas, where 71 percent of Clay reside; 71 percent reside in North America and 71 percent reside in Anglo-North America. Clay is also the 14,358th most commonly held forename on earth, held by 67,281 people.
It is most numerous in The United States, where it is held by 62,296 people, or 1 in 5,818. In The United States it is primarily concentrated in: Texas, where 11 percent are found, Georgia, where 8 percent are found and Missouri, where 5 percent are found. Outside of The United States this surname occurs in 106 countries. It is also found in England, where 12 percent are found and Australia, where 3 percent are found.
Clay Family Population Trend historical fluctuation
The frequency of Clay has changed through the years. In The United States the number of people who held the Clay surname grew 495 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 169 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it grew 313 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it grew 453 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it fell 55 percent between 1901 and 2014.
Clay Last Name Statistics demography
The religious devotion of those holding the Clay last name is principally Catholic (50%) in Ireland, Christian (95%) in Kenya and Christian (100%) in Nigeria.
In The United States Clay are 7.66% more likely to be registered Republicans than the national average, with 54.43% registered to vote for the party.
The amount Clay earn in different countries varies significantly. In Norway they earn 13.31% less than the national average, earning 300,034 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 12.47% more than the national average, earning R 267,276 per year; in United States they earn 9.81% less than the national average, earning $38,915 USD per year and in Canada they earn 5.7% more than the national average, earning $52,516 CAD per year.
Phonetically Similar Names
Clay Name Transliterations
| Transliteration | ICU Latin | Percentage of Incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Clay in the Arabic language | ||
| كلاي | klay | - |
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Clay Reference & Research
Claeys FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.
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Footnotes
- Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
- Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
- Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
- Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
- Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
- Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
- Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Clay
- To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on FamilySearch, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis