Clayton
Clayton is both an English surname and a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Clayton
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Clayton is both an English surname and a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Clayton
Clayton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 60 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 2,564 Claytons were born — ranking #151 that year. As of 2026, Clayton ranks #330 for baby boys with 1,053 births, falling sharply (-18%). In total, more than 140K Claytons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Clayton
Phonetically similar names — useful when Clayton is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Clayton
What does the name Clayton mean?
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In which U.S. states is Clayton most popular?
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About the name Clayton
Clayton is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 140K births in the dataset. Clayton's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #147. Use the chart and map above to compare Clayton's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2000 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.