Clay Name Meaning: Habbitational name meaning for someone who lived in an area of clay soil. Alternatively it could refer to someone who worked in a clay pit.
From the Olde English pre 7th Century 'claeg' meaning clay.
Discover how your Clay ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.| Bedfordshire | 11 |
| Buckinghamshire | 33 |
| Berkshire | 46 |
| Cambridgeshire | 22 |
| Channel Islands | 1 |
| Cheshire | 153 |
| Cornwall | 6 |
| Cumberland | 9 |
| Derbyshire | 303 |
| Devon | 55 |
| Dorset | 9 |
| Durham | 125 |
| Essex | 158 |
| Gloucestershire | 44 |
| Hampshire | 116 |
| Herefordshire | 13 |
| Hertfordshire | 23 |
| Huntingdonshire | 0 |
| Isle of Man | 0 |
| Kent | 135 |
| Lancashire | 520 |
| Leicestershire | 268 |
| Lincolnshire | 325 |
| London | 758 |
| Middlesex | 154 |
| Northumberland | 55 |
| Norfolk | 20 |
| Northamptonshire | 78 |
| Nottinghamshire | 879 |
| Oxfordshire | 17 |
| Rutland | 0 |
| Shropshire | 238 |
| Suffolk | 35 |
| Somerset | 16 |
| Surrey | 69 |
| Sussex | 34 |
| Staffordshire | 510 |
| Warwickshire | 302 |
| Westmorland | 5 |
| Wiltshire | 10 |
| Worcestershire | 185 |
| Yorkshire | 1,542 |
| Anglesey | 13 |
| Brecknockshire | 5 |
| Cardiganshire | 3 |
| Carnarvonshire | 5 |
| Carmarthenshire | 0 |
| Denbighshire | 8 |
| Flintshire | 0 |
| Glamorgan | 32 |
| Merionethshire | 4 |
| Montgomeryshire | 1 |
| Monmouthshire | 9 |
| Pembrokeshire | 6 |
| Radnorshire | 0 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Living On Own Means | 106 |
| General Labourer | 69 |
| Dress Maker | 51 |
| Farmer | 40 |
| General Servant Domestic | 37 |
| Scholar | 32 |
| Coal Miner C Hewer | 31 |
| Domestic Servant | 30 |
| Coal Miner Hewer | 27 |
| Woollen Weaver | 25 |
| Dressmaker | 24 |
| Butcher | 22 |
| Carpenter | 21 |
| Tailoress | 21 |
| Grocer | 19 |
| Cook Domestic | 18 |
| Housemaid Domestic | 18 |
| Brick Layer | 17 |
| Charwoman | 16 |
| Laundress Wash | 16 |
| School Teacher | 16 |
| House Keeper Domestic | 15 |
| House Painter | 15 |
| Worsted Spinner | 14 |
| Railway Clerk | 13 |
| Name | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Mary Clay | 3,026 |
| William Clay | 2,861 |
| John Clay | 2,807 |
| Elizabeth Clay | 2,021 |
| Sarah Clay | 1,833 |
| George Clay | 1,651 |
| Thomas Clay | 1,607 |
| James Clay | 1,160 |
| Ann Clay | 1,096 |
| Joseph Clay | 1,069 |
| Henry Clay | 1,018 |
| Charles Clay | 926 |
| Jane Clay | 792 |
| Eliza Clay | 771 |
| Samuel Clay | 697 |
| Emma Clay | 684 |
| Hannah Clay | 683 |
| Annie Clay | 645 |
| Alice Clay | 543 |
| Edward Clay | 528 |
| Richard Clay | 499 |
| Ellen Clay | 483 |
| Arthur Clay | 473 |
| Alfred Clay | 445 |
| Emily Clay | 442 |
| Rank | Surname | Match | Census Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clay | 100% | 46,095 |
| 2 | Coley | 60% | 14,403 |
| 3 | Caley | 60% | 8,870 |
| 4 | Cooley | 50% | 6,530 |
| 5 | Claye | 80% | 618 |
| 6 | Couley | 50% | 544 |
| 7 | Culy | 50% | 451 |
| 8 | Coaley | 50% | 443 |
| 9 | Cley | 75% | 335 |
| 10 | Culey | 60% | 307 |
| 11 | Cauley | 50% | 293 |
| 12 | Ceely | 40% | 187 |
| 13 | Caly | 50% | 177 |
| 14 | Cloy | 75% | 177 |
| 15 | Coly | 50% | 162 |
| 16 | Coiley | 50% | 153 |
| 17 | Cooly | 40% | 147 |
| 18 | Cailey | 50% | 144 |
| 19 | Ecley | 60% | 116 |
The surname Clay is the most popular version of all its varients