Boys' name · peaked in 2000
Clayton name popularity since 1925
126,859 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Clayton. Half of them were born in 1989 or earlier, so the typical Clayton is about 37 years old in 2026. Clayton peaked in 2000 as the #151 name for boys, and it ranked #300 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 126,859
- Named Clayton, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #300
- for boys in 2025 (1,130 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 537 girls · 126,322 boys
- Most popular in
- Hawaii
- 2.43× its national share
Peak year is the year Clayton made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Clayton births per year, 1925–2025
2000 was the biggest year for Clayton both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Fastest rise: Between 1970 and 1975, Clayton became 1.7× more common, from 1 in 2,230 baby boys to 1 in 1,330.
- Steepest fall: Between 2002 and 2007, its share of baby boys fell by 37%, from 1 in 899 to 1 in 1,440.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Clayton's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Clayton.
Decade by decade
Babies named Clayton in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 53 | 4,495 | – |
| 1930s | 54 | 7,171 | #187 |
| 1940s | 21 | 7,059 | #218 |
| 1950s | 36 | 9,309 | #234 |
| 1960s | 38 | 9,296 | #251 |
| 1970s | 59 | 10,750 | #193 |
| 1980s | 108 | 16,933 | #157 |
| 1990s | 48 | 21,816 | #151 |
| 2000s | 63 | 18,672 | #216 |
| 2010s | 39 | 13,932 | #248 |
| 2020–25 | 18 | 6,889 | #300 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
24.2% of babies named Clayton from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Millennial years (1981–1996). The full split by generation:
Where Clayton is most popular
The index compares Clayton's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Clayton.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 2.43× | 957 |
| Montana | 2.00× | 736 |
| South Dakota | 1.92× | 770 |
| North Dakota | 1.89× | 750 |
| Idaho | 1.85× | 929 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Clayton and were given to at least 1,000 boys from 1925 to 2025, with the year each one was most popular.
| Spelling | Boys | Peak year |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton (this page) | 126,322 | 2000 |
| Klayton | 3,015 | 2018 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Clayton's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Clayton.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Clayton (2000).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data