Klay
A masculine name of Scandinavian origin meaning "sprout" or "shoot".
Name Census estimates that about 1,498 living Americans carry the first name Klay. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Klay today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Klay births was 2022 (103 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Klay. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Klay with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Klay is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.5K
~ 1 in 228,808 Americans
Peak year
2022
103 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,102
Tracked since 1958
Census
Klay in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,104 people with the first name Klay, which placed it at #11,558 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#11,558
National first-name rank
People counted
1.1K
1,104 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.4
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
66.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Klay
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Klay is White at 66.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%) and Black (8.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Klay 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 name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Klay at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.8% · 738
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.3% · 114
- Black or African American8.1% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 79
- Two or more races5.8% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 20
Popularity
Klay: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Klay from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 532 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Klay by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Klay during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Klays live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Klay, while Utah, Missouri, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Klay
The name Klay is believed to have its origins in the Germanic language group, specifically derived from the Old English word "clæg," which means "clay" or "soil." This connection to the earth and nature suggests that the name may have been initially associated with occupations or lifestyles related to agriculture or pottery-making.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Klay can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Clai" or "Clei," likely referring to individuals involved in clay-related trades or residing in areas with significant clay deposits.
In the Middle Ages, the name Klay gained popularity in various regions of Europe, particularly in areas with strong Germanic cultural influences. It was commonly used as a given name, indicating a connection to the land and a sense of rootedness in one's environment.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Klay. One such figure is Klay Hall (c. 1500 - c. 1565), an English writer and translator who is known for his work on the first English translation of the Bible from the original Greek and Hebrew texts.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Klay Atterbury (1662 - 1732), an English churchman and writer who served as the Bishop of Rochester and later as the Bishop of London. He was a influential figure in the Church of England and played a significant role in shaping religious discourse during his time.
In the realm of literature, Klay Vaughan (1849 - 1928) was an American author and journalist who wrote several novels and short stories, including "The Bridal Path" and "The Flight of the Moth."
Moving into the 20th century, Klay Thompson (born 1990) is a professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. He has won multiple championships and is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooters in basketball history.
Lastly, Klay Holm (born 1986) is a Norwegian artist and illustrator known for his intricate and whimsical drawings. His work has been featured in various publications and exhibitions around the world, showcasing his unique artistic style and imaginative storytelling.
These examples demonstrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who have carried the name Klay throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Klay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Klay as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Klay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Klay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,498 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Klay going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 228,808 US residents.
Is Klay a common name?
We classify Klay as "Rare". It ranks above 92.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,531 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Klay most popular?
The single biggest year for Klay was 2022, when 103 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Klay is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Klay in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,104 people with the name Klay, or 0.37 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #11,558 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Klay in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Klay?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Klay leans strongly male. 1,054 people counted with this name were male (96.0%), compared with 44 female bearers (4.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Klay?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Klay is White at 66.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%) and Black (8.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Klay most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Klay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.8% (738 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Klay in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Klay a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Klay in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Klay still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Klay in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Klay can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are called Klay?
You can see how many Americans are named Klay on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.