Klay

Klay - A very unique male name

Klay appeared on the charts for the first time in 1991 on position #2912. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Klay and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Klay? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Klay. The baby boy name Klay was given to 34 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1997 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 43,126 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Klay peaked in popularity 7 years ago in 2019 on position 1809.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Klay, 1-5?

Klay is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Klay is currently topping the baby name charts in Utah at position #758 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,196.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Klay is where you live.

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Klay origin and meaning

Modern respelling (American) — of Clay

Clay, the earth material — a word and surname name — respelled with a K

Klay appears in the data from 1991 but only took off in the 2010s, exactly as basketball's Klay Thompson rose. The K spelling is Thompson's own, and the timing is no coincidence.

Attested etymology

Klay is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Klay, pop culture references for the name Klay and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Klay

We've found the following names that sound similar to Klay, sorted by popularity.

Kyle / Kelly / Khalil / Kole / Kale / Kylo / Kalel / Kahlil / Kael / Kelley /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Klay

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Klay a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Klay?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KLAY · /kleɪ/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Clay — The standard spelling of the same name.
• Klayton — The fuller K-respelling, a separate name.

Famous bearers

• Klay Thompson — American NBA guard, four-time champion with the Golden State Warriors (b. 1990) Contemporary

Style

Word nameModern coinage

Why parents choose it

Klay is a one-syllable sports-hero name — clean, strong and instantly current.

Worth knowing

• It reads as a basketball reference first, and everyone will write Clay without the cue.