Clayton

Clayton is a surname which is also used as a first name. The surname comes from Old English claeg, which means "clay," and tun which means "settlement" or "enclosure." Clayton is used as a first name more often in the U.S. than anywhere else, and in the U.S., its popularity has remained impressively consistent for over a hundred years, nearly always appearing somewhere between #150 and #200--with some variation from that, but not much. The common nickname or short form for Clayton is Clay. Clay is popular enough as a name in its own right that it will get an entry here of its own eventually.