Explore the Family Name Clay

The meaning of Clay

1. English (Midlands and Yorkshire): from Old English clǣg ‘clay’, applied as a topographic name for someone who lived in an area of clay soil, a habitational name for someone who lived in a district known as (the) Clay, such as the one in east Notinghamshire, or as a metonymic occupational name for a worker in a clay pit (see Clayman). 2. Americanized form of German Klee. History: The relatively common English name Clay had several American forebears in the 18th century. Henry Clay, born in Hanover, VA, in 1777, secretary of state for President John Quincy Adams, was descended from English ancestors who came to VA shortly after the founding of Jamestown. The revolutionary war officer Joseph Clay, also a member of the Continental Congress, was a native of Yorkshire, England, who emigrated to GA in 1760 and was a founder of the University of Georgia.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Clay in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Clay has experienced a slight dip in popularity ranking from 677 in 2000 to 708 in 2010, marking a 4.58% decline. However, this change in rank does not reflect a decrease in usage of the surname as the actual count increased by 5.58% (from 46,264 in 2000 to 48,844 in 2010). This suggests that while other surnames may have become more popular, the number of people bearing the Clay surname still grew. The proportion per 100k also saw a minor decrease of 3.44%.

20002010Change
Rank#677#708-4.58%
Count46,26448,8445.58%
Proportion per 100k17.1516.56-3.44%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Clay

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010 for individuals carrying the Clay surname. Notably, the Hispanic ethnicity registered the biggest growth at 71.13%, followed by Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.13% and Two or more races at 40.10%. Despite these increases, the White and Black ethnicities remained dominant, accounting for 52.74% and 40.50% respectively in 2010. These groups saw small changes with the White ethnicity decreasing slightly by 4.80% and the Black ethnicity increasing modestly by 1.68%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category was relatively stable, experiencing a minor decline of just 1.05%.

20002010Change
White55.4%52.74%-4.8%
Black39.83%40.5%1.68%
Two or More Races2.07%2.9%40.1%
Hispanic1.42%2.43%71.13%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.95%0.94%-1.05%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.32%0.49%53.13%

Clay ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Clay is British & Irish, which comprises 52.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.8%) and Nigerian (6.5%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Angolan & Congolese.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish52.0%
French & German19.8%
Nigerian6.5%
Other21.6%
Clay

Possible origins of the surname Clay

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Clay have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom80.50%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom80.30%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom80.20%
Merseyside, United Kingdom80.00%
West Midlands, United Kingdom79.70%

What Clay haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Clay is R-A154, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-A154 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hines, Wilson, White, Taylor, Thompson, Robinson, Brown, Smith, James, Allen.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Clay surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

clayPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Clay have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Clay

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Clay" Surname 39.3%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Clay

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Clay" Surname 36.6%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Clay

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Clay" Surname 27.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Clay

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Clay" Surname 20.6%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Clay?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Clay are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%