Boys' name · since 1880
Clayton
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 139,344 babies named Clayton, peaking in 2000. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #244 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #300 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 139,344
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
Yes -- Clayton is the #300 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 139,344 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clayton has been recorded 139,344 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #300 nationally and more common than 98% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #244 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #300 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 139,344 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Clayton ranks #244 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #300 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 139,344 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #244 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #300 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 139,344
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
Clayton's 139,344 recorded births place it above 99.46% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Clayton compares
139,344 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Clayton's all-time total is 378x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Clayton | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 139,344 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,564 | 34 | 22,252 |
Clayton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Clayton splits its recorded history at 1953: 75% of all births land in the more recent half, 25% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1881 (52 births) -- compare that against the 2000 peak of 2,564 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Clayton popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 2,564
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Clayton popularity over time - girls
610 total births recorded since 1910 (Clayton as girls' name)
Clayton by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (21,816 births, 16% of the file).
1990s was Clayton's strongest decade.
21,816 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Clayton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 653
1880s
653 births
- 1890s 752
1890s
752 births
- 1900s 1,057
1900s
1,057 births
- 1910s 5,641
1910s
5,641 births
- 1920s
1920s
9,414 births
- 1930s 7,171
1930s
7,171 births
- 1940s 7,059
1940s
7,059 births
- 1950s
1950s
9,309 births
- 1960s
1960s
9,296 births
- 1970s
1970s
10,750 births
- 1980s
1980s
16,933 births
- 1990s
1990s
21,816 births
- 2000s
2000s
18,672 births
- 2010s
2010s
13,932 births
- 2020s 6,889
2020s
6,889 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 21,816 births (16% of all-time use).
How Clayton compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Clayton's total volume
Clayton by state
Where Clayton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 12,488 | 9.0% |
| #2 | California | | 8,813 | 6.3% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 6,423 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Florida | | 5,721 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 5,379 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 5,227 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 4,892 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 4,729 | 3.4% |
12,488 of 139,344 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Clayton appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Clayton? ▼
Where does Clayton sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Clayton most popular? ▼
Where is Clayton most popular? ▼
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What names are similar to Clayton? ▼
What to do with Clayton's data
- Clayton's decade-level peak was the 1990s (21,816 total births); usage has since declined to 6,889 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Claytons (12,488 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Clayton
Nearby Names Like Clayton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clayton
Compare Clayton side by side: Clayton vs Clarence Clayton vs Claude Clayton vs Clark
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Clayton
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Clayton: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2000)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Clayton draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.