Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Clay

Clay started out as an English surname with Anglo-Saxon origins derived from a topographical feature or an occupation. The Olde English “clæg” was a word used to describe “sticky earth” (clay) and comes from the Germanic root “glei” meaning “to stick together” (similar to the Latin “gluten” meaning “glue”). As a naturally occurring substance, clay is a useful material for making ceramics, bricks, cement, etc. Therefore Clay may have developed as a job-related surname to signify a person who worked with clay. The surname first appeared in writing in the late 12th century rendered as “de Clai”. Clay has been in use as a forename since at least the 19th century and is sometimes used as a short form of Clayton.

All About the Baby Name – Clay

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME CLAY

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME CLAY

Clay was a name used with light moderation in the late 1800s up through the 1940s. The height of his popularity came during the late 50s and early 60s when he was a Top 300 name in the country. By no means is this an indicator of frequent usage but still Clay has managed to “stick” to the charts uninterruptedly for well over 130 years. It really wasn’t until this new 21st century that American parents started rejecting this name on a larger scale. In fact, Clay came dangerously close to dropping off the Top 1000 list in 2009 when he got as low as position #947 on the charts. What reversed his direction in the past couple of years was not American Idol star Clay Aiken, but rather a character from the television drama “Sons of Anarchy” named Clay Morrow. Hey, if a founding member of an outlaw motorcycle gang can’t help restore Clay’s popularity a little, who else can we count on? Clay still has some stickiness left in him!

Quick Facts

ON CLAY

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

1

RANKING POPULARITY:

722

PRONUNCIATION:

KLAY

SIMPLE MEANING:

Sticky earth

Characteristics

OF CLAY

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Clay

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME CLAY

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME CLAY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Clay


Popular Songs

ON CLAY

Dreams of Clay
a song by Dwight Yoakam

Clay
a song by Echo & The Bunnymen

Alabama Clay
a song by Garth Brooks

Famous People

NAMED CLAY

Clay Aiken (singer)
Clay Regazzoni (Swiss race car driver)
Clay Walker (country musician)
Clay Buchholz (baseball player)
Clay Hensley (baseball player)
Clay S. Jenkinson (scholar)

Children of Famous People

NAMED CLAY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Clay

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME CLAY

Muhammad Ali (née Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.) is an American icon, loved by some, hated by others, but hardly ever ignored. Born January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, Cassius Clay rose to fame by winning an Olympic Gold Medal for boxing in the 1960 Olympics and went on to even greater acclaim as a three-time World Heavyweight champion, making the game glamorous to a much wider audience than usual in the early to mid sixties. A handsome man, a powerful fighter, and a lyrical wit, he reached the masses with his good looks and quotable charm. Converting to Islam in 1964, after having been recruited by Malcolm X, he changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali. He was subsequently stripped of his title when he refused to fight in Vietnam, famously asserting: “I ain’t got no fight with them Viet Cong…” His conviction as a draft dodger was later overturned. Operating under the assertion that in the ring he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, Muhammad Ali maintained the title over such luminaries as Archie Moore, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Ken Norton and Joe Frazier. He was forced into retirement after the onset of Parkinson’s Disease. In his later years, Muhammad Ali has been a kind of elder statesman, giving time and money to various charities and causes. President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. His life story was made into a very successful movie called Ali in 2001, starring Will Smith, who was nominated for an Oscar for the role. Married four times, he is the father of nine children.