Find out how popular the last name Clayton is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Clayton.

Clayton, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Clayton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Clayton in America

Clayton is the 595th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Clayton surname appeared 56,638 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Clayton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Clayton to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Clayton

The surname Clayton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "clæg" meaning clay or clay soil, and "tun" meaning an enclosure, farmstead, or village. It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived in or near a settlement situated on clay soil.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, which mention a Richard de Cleiton. The Curia Regis Rolls of 1208 also reference a Robert de Cleiton from Yorkshire. These early spellings, such as Cleiton and Cleyton, were eventually standardized to the modern Clayton.

The name is also associated with several places in England, such as Clayton in Lancashire, Clayton in West Yorkshire, and Clayton in Sussex. Some of these place names can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where they were recorded as Claitone or similar variations.

Notable historical figures with the surname Clayton include:

1. John Clayton (1693-1773), a renowned botanist and colonial official in Virginia.
2. Sir Robert Clayton (1629-1707), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1679.
3. Thomas Clayton (1778-1858), an American portrait painter and engraver.
4. Augustin Clayton (1783-1839), an American lawyer and politician who served as Governor of Georgia.
5. Henry De Lamar Clayton (1857-1929), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Delta Air Lines.

Throughout its history, the surname Clayton has been associated with various occupations and achievements, from botany and art to politics and entrepreneurship, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Clayton

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Clayton.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Clayton was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Clayton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Clayton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Clayton, please contact us.

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