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 | 17 |
| Buckinghamshire | 44 |
| Berkshire | 31 |
| Cambridgeshire | 37 |
| Channel Islands | 0 |
| Cheshire | 128 |
| Cornwall | 0 |
| Cumberland | 6 |
| Derbyshire | 256 |
| Devon | 45 |
| Dorset | 1 |
| Durham | 110 |
| Essex | 102 |
| Gloucestershire | 51 |
| Hampshire | 102 |
| Herefordshire | 1 |
| Hertfordshire | 15 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 2 |
| Isle of Man | 1 |
| Kent | 60 |
| Lancashire | 452 |
| Leicestershire | 178 |
| Lincolnshire | 336 |
| London | 627 |
| Middlesex | 94 |
| Northumberland | 30 |
| Norfolk | 9 |
| Northamptonshire | 80 |
| Nottinghamshire | 741 |
| Oxfordshire | 32 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 2 |
| Shropshire | 210 |
| Suffolk | 16 |
| Somerset | 28 |
| Surrey | 55 |
| Sussex | 30 |
| Staffordshire | 395 |
| Warwickshire | 252 |
| Westmorland | 1 |
| Wiltshire | 18 |
| Worcestershire | 147 |
| Yorkshire | 1,184 |
| Anglesey | 21 |
| Brecknockshire | 6 |
| Cardiganshire | 0 |
| Carnarvonshire | 11 |
| Carmarthenshire | 0 |
| Denbighshire | 13 |
| Flintshire | 0 |
| Glamorgan | 18 |
| Merionethshire | 4 |
| Montgomeryshire | 1 |
| Monmouthshire | 6 |
| Pembrokeshire | 8 |
| Radnorshire | 0 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 1,232 |
| Coal Miner | 95 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 82 |
| Domestic Servant | 59 |
| Labourer | 51 |
| Dress Maker | 49 |
| General Labourer | 43 |
| Farm Labourer | 41 |
| General Servant | 35 |
| Annuitant | 34 |
| Laundress | 29 |
| Woollen Weaver | 27 |
| House Keeper | 24 |
| Farm Servant Indoor | 21 |
| General Servant Domestic | 21 |
| Silk Weaver | 17 |
| Butcher | 16 |
| Frame Work Knitter | 16 |
| No Occupation | 15 |
| Shoe Maker | 15 |
| Carpenter | 14 |
| Tailor | 14 |
| Cotton Piecer | 14 |
| Bricklayer | 13 |
| Worsted Weaver | 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