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Clay Family History

Clay Name Meaning

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 ). Americanized form of German Klee .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Clary, Slay, Clare, Cap, Way, Clapp, Lay, Bay, Flad, Lau

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Where is the Clay family from?

You can see how Clay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Clay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Clay families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 152 Clay families living in Ontario. This was about 39% of all the recorded Clay's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Clay families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Clay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Clay ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Nurse were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Clay. 38% of Clay men worked as a Farmer and 30% of Clay women worked as a Nurse. Some less common occupations for Americans named Clay were Clerk and Income. .

View Census Data for Clay | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    38%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Nurse
    30%
  • Stenographer
    30%
  • Clerk
    20%
  • Income
    20%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Clay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 306,000 census records available for the last name Clay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Clay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Clay

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Clay. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Clay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 53,000 military records available for the last name Clay. For the veterans among your Clay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Clay lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Clay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Clay in 1941 was 36, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Clay

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