Clay is an established boys' name that peaked in 1960 and has grown less common since.
Clay is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #573 for boy births in the United States (and #1,146 across all names), given to 515 babies. Clay first appears in 1880 and peaked in 1960 (904 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 515 | 515 | — | #573 |
| 2024 | 550 | 550 | #15,788 | #544 |
| 2023 | 494 | 494 | — | #581 |
| 2022 | 453 | 453 | — | #618 |
| 2021 | 451 | 451 | — | #617 |
| 2020 | 422 | 422 | #15,637 | #644 |
| 2019 | 376 | 376 | — | #682 |
| 2018 | 353 | 353 | — | #688 |
| 2017 | 355 | 355 | — | #694 |
| 2016 | 339 | 339 | — | #724 |
| 2015 | 342 | 342 | — | #720 |
| 2014 | 269 | 269 | — | #841 |
| 2013 | 321 | 321 | — | #729 |
| 2012 | 322 | 322 | — | #726 |
| 2011 | 316 | 316 | — | #720 |
| 2010 | 273 | 273 | — | #794 |
| 2009 | 213 | 213 | — | #948 |
| 2008 | 250 | 250 | — | #853 |
| 2007 | 281 | 281 | — | #775 |
| 2006 | 309 | 309 | — | #707 |
| 2005 | 330 | 330 | — | #654 |
| 2004 | 388 | 388 | #16,674 | #582 |
| 2003 | 519 | 519 | — | #479 |
| 2002 | 597 | 597 | — | #417 |
| 2001 | 573 | 573 | — | #427 |
| 2000 | 641 | 641 | — | #396 |
| 1999 | 603 | 603 | — | #403 |
| 1998 | 630 | 630 | #11,382 | #393 |
| 1997 | 643 | — | — | #379 |
| 1996 | 648 | — | — | #369 |
| 1995 | 714 | — | — | #344 |
| 1994 | 689 | — | — | #353 |
| 1993 | 494 | — | — | #444 |
| 1992 | 433 | — | — | #484 |
| 1991 | 465 | — | — | #459 |
| 1990 | 494 | — | — | #445 |
| 1989 | 451 | — | — | #444 |
| 1988 | 488 | — | — | #406 |
| 1987 | 467 | — | — | #402 |
| 1986 | 412 | — | — | #423 |
| 1985 | 416 | — | — | #418 |
| 1984 | 380 | — | — | #425 |
| 1983 | 373 | — | — | #424 |
| 1982 | 345 | — | — | #458 |
| 1981 | 333 | — | — | #455 |
| 1980 | 356 | — | #9,315 | #443 |
| 1979 | 345 | — | — | #431 |
| 1978 | 378 | — | #6,493 | #401 |
| 1977 | 421 | — | — | #382 |
| 1976 | 434 | — | — | #367 |
| 1975 | 454 | — | — | #365 |
| 1974 | 422 | — | — | #373 |
| 1973 | 475 | — | #8,664 | #354 |
| 1972 | 439 | — | — | #374 |
| 1971 | 520 | — | — | #352 |
| 1970 | 461 | — | #8,212 | #379 |
| 1969 | 431 | — | — | #378 |
| 1968 | 389 | — | — | #394 |
| 1967 | 361 | — | — | #403 |
| 1966 | 365 | — | #6,744 | #395 |
| 1965 | 440 | — | — | #369 |
| 1964 | 571 | — | — | #328 |
| 1963 | 656 | — | — | #303 |
| 1962 | 705 | — | — | #288 |
| 1961 | 900 | — | — | #259 |
| 1960 | 911 | — | #5,260 | #265 |
| 1959 | 826 | — | — | #276 |
| 1958 | 730 | — | #4,984 | #284 |
| 1957 | 605 | — | #3,731 | #313 |
| 1956 | 485 | — | — | #339 |
| 1955 | 431 | — | #5,980 | #350 |
| 1954 | 348 | — | #4,343 | #388 |
| 1953 | 270 | — | — | #431 |
| 1952 | 274 | — | #4,570 | #426 |
| 1951 | 225 | — | — | #450 |
| 1950 | 187 | — | #4,386 | #497 |
| 1949 | 176 | — | — | #502 |
| 1948 | 171 | — | — | #505 |
| 1947 | 145 | — | — | #561 |
| 1946 | 114 | — | — | #606 |
| 1945 | 97 | — | — | #612 |
| 1944 | 116 | — | #4,145 | #585 |
| 1943 | 136 | — | #2,888 | #568 |
| 1942 | 137 | — | #2,438 | #554 |
| 1941 | 112 | — | #4,040 | #576 |
| 1940 | 128 | — | — | #510 |
| 1939 | 130 | — | #3,188 | #514 |
| 1938 | 124 | — | #2,611 | #546 |
| 1937 | 123 | — | #3,876 | #537 |
| 1936 | 131 | — | #3,429 | #509 |
| 1935 | 110 | — | — | #548 |
| 1934 | 117 | — | — | #545 |
| 1933 | 123 | — | #2,916 | #534 |
| 1932 | 123 | — | — | #524 |
| 1931 | 117 | — | — | #540 |
| 1930 | 138 | — | #3,721 | #524 |
| 1929 | 107 | — | — | #579 |
| 1928 | 135 | — | — | #519 |
| 1927 | 164 | — | #3,332 | #487 |
| 1926 | 137 | — | #4,400 | #528 |
| 1925 | 144 | — | — | #507 |
| 1924 | 157 | — | #4,555 | #509 |
| 1923 | 146 | — | #2,760 | #525 |
| 1922 | 194 | — | #5,152 | #442 |
| 1921 | 167 | — | #4,098 | #489 |
| 1920 | 157 | — | #3,150 | #498 |
| 1919 | 128 | — | — | #527 |
| 1918 | 146 | — | — | #495 |
| 1917 | 131 | — | #4,191 | #515 |
| 1916 | 138 | — | #4,541 | #494 |
| 1915 | 139 | — | #3,499 | #485 |
| 1914 | 107 | — | — | #466 |
| 1913 | 89 | — | — | #461 |
| 1912 | 80 | — | #3,053 | #456 |
| 1911 | 52 | — | — | #396 |
| 1910 | 28 | — | — | #540 |
| 1909 | 35 | — | — | #421 |
| 1908 | 33 | — | — | #414 |
| 1907 | 31 | — | — | #408 |
| 1906 | 36 | — | — | #346 |
| 1905 | 34 | — | — | #355 |
| 1904 | 32 | — | — | #354 |
| 1903 | 27 | — | — | #370 |
| 1902 | 33 | — | — | #339 |
| 1901 | 21 | — | — | #409 |
| 1900 | 41 | — | — | #337 |
| 1899 | 23 | — | — | #385 |
| 1898 | 40 | — | — | #289 |
| 1897 | 25 | — | — | #375 |
| 1896 | 30 | — | — | #353 |
| 1895 | 33 | — | — | #318 |
| 1894 | 42 | — | — | #271 |
| 1893 | 33 | — | — | #300 |
| 1892 | 23 | — | — | #394 |
| 1891 | 17 | — | #1,235 | #571 |
| 1890 | 32 | — | — | #303 |
| 1889 | 29 | — | — | #324 |
| 1888 | 31 | — | — | #324 |
| 1887 | 23 | — | — | #341 |
| 1886 | 28 | — | — | #321 |
| 1885 | 18 | — | — | #425 |
| 1884 | 32 | — | — | #307 |
| 1883 | 25 | — | — | #331 |
| 1882 | 17 | — | — | #438 |
| 1881 | 24 | — | — | #333 |
| 1880 | 18 | — | — | #406 |