NameCensus.

UK surname

Clayton

An English toponymic surname derived from various places meaning "clay settlement" or "settlement on clay soil."

In the 1881 census there were 16,272 people recorded with the Clayton surname, ranking it #238 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 21,431, ranked #276, down from #238 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Halifax and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Tameside and Selby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clayton is 21,996 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.7%.

1881 census count

16,272

Ranked #238

Modern count

21,431

2016, ranked #276

Peak year

1999

21,996 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clayton had 16,272 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #238 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 21,431 in 2016, ranked #276.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 21,983 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Clayton surname distribution map

The map shows where the Clayton surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Clayton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clayton over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 10,534 #238
1861 historical 11,426 #215
1881 historical 16,272 #238
1891 historical 18,054 #217
1901 historical 20,601 #235
1911 historical 21,983 #197
1997 modern 21,252 #270
1998 modern 21,921 #275
1999 modern 21,996 #279
2000 modern 21,868 #279
2001 modern 21,346 #278
2002 modern 21,773 #278
2003 modern 21,175 #278
2004 modern 21,151 #278
2005 modern 20,795 #278
2006 modern 20,825 #276
2007 modern 20,931 #276
2008 modern 21,024 #277
2009 modern 21,556 #277
2010 modern 21,989 #277
2011 modern 21,650 #277
2012 modern 21,242 #275
2013 modern 21,844 #275
2014 modern 21,917 #276
2015 modern 21,623 #276
2016 modern 21,431 #276

Geography

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Where Claytons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Halifax, London parishes, Manchester and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Tameside, Selby and Rossendale. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Stockport Cheshire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 020 Barnsley
2 Tameside 001 Tameside
3 Selby 005 Selby
4 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
5 Tameside 020 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clayton

These lists show first names that appear often with the Clayton surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clayton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clayton, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Clayton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Clayton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Clayton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clayton is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clayton falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clayton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Clayton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clayton

The surname Clayton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "clæg" meaning clay or clay soil, and "tun" meaning an enclosure, farmstead, or village. It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived in or near a settlement situated on clay soil.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, which mention a Richard de Cleiton. The Curia Regis Rolls of 1208 also reference a Robert de Cleiton from Yorkshire. These early spellings, such as Cleiton and Cleyton, were eventually standardized to the modern Clayton.

The name is also associated with several places in England, such as Clayton in Lancashire, Clayton in West Yorkshire, and Clayton in Sussex. Some of these place names can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where they were recorded as Claitone or similar variations.

Notable historical figures with the surname Clayton include:

1. John Clayton (1693-1773), a renowned botanist and colonial official in Virginia. 2. Sir Robert Clayton (1629-1707), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1679. 3. Thomas Clayton (1778-1858), an American portrait painter and engraver. 4. Augustin Clayton (1783-1839), an American lawyer and politician who served as Governor of Georgia. 5. Henry De Lamar Clayton (1857-1929), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Delta Air Lines.

Throughout its history, the surname Clayton has been associated with various occupations and achievements, from botany and art to politics and entrepreneurship, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clayton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clayton surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 4,153 Claytons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.64x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 4,153 2.64x
Lancashire 3,535 1.88x
Middlesex 1,229 0.77x
Cheshire 1,092 3.11x
Lincolnshire 839 3.30x
Surrey 577 0.75x
Derbyshire 527 2.12x
Staffordshire 453 0.85x
Nottinghamshire 389 1.82x
Warwickshire 328 0.82x
Leicestershire 290 1.65x
Durham 269 0.57x
Kent 260 0.48x
Shropshire 248 1.81x
Worcestershire 184 0.89x
Herefordshire 146 2.24x
Sussex 145 0.54x
Essex 127 0.41x
Northamptonshire 122 0.82x
Hampshire 117 0.36x
Cambridgeshire 101 1.00x
Berkshire 96 0.81x
Suffolk 89 0.46x
Gloucestershire 83 0.27x
Norfolk 67 0.27x
Hertfordshire 65 0.59x
Bedfordshire 64 0.78x
Lanarkshire 56 0.11x
Northumberland 56 0.24x
Buckinghamshire 47 0.49x
Glamorgan 45 0.16x
Montgomeryshire 35 0.96x
Oxfordshire 33 0.34x
Devon 31 0.09x
Cumberland 30 0.22x
Denbighshire 29 0.48x
Westmorland 27 0.77x
Aberdeenshire 23 0.16x
Huntingdonshire 23 0.73x
Monmouthshire 23 0.20x
Caernarfonshire 19 0.30x
Inverness-shire 19 0.40x
Midlothian 16 0.08x
Cardiganshire 14 0.36x
Somerset 13 0.05x
Morayshire 11 0.45x
Perthshire 10 0.14x
Roxburghshire 10 0.35x
Dunbartonshire 9 0.21x
Royal Navy 9 0.48x
Flintshire 8 0.19x
Selkirkshire 7 0.49x
Stirlingshire 7 0.12x
Fife 6 0.06x
Argyllshire 5 0.11x
Brecknockshire 5 0.16x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.07x
Channel Islands 5 0.11x
Merionethshire 5 0.17x
Angus 4 0.03x
Cornwall 4 0.02x
Dorset 4 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.11x
Rutland 4 0.34x
Ayrshire 3 0.03x
Isle of Man 3 0.10x
Renfrewshire 3 0.02x
Wiltshire 3 0.02x
Banffshire 2 0.06x
Berwickshire 2 0.10x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.04x
Ross-shire 2 0.05x
Nairnshire 1 0.21x
Radnorshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 246 Claytons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.97x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 246 5.97x
Preston 225 4.46x
Blackburn 192 3.83x
Leeds 169 1.90x
Islington London 167 1.08x
Bradford 166 4.36x
Manchester 139 1.64x
Sheffield 139 2.77x
Stockport 136 7.54x
Liverpool 126 1.10x
Aston 115 1.04x
Birmingham 106 0.79x
Oldham 104 1.71x
Horton In Bradford 103 4.19x
Ecclesall Bierlow 100 3.12x
Newington 99 1.69x
Kensington London 97 1.10x
St Pancras London 95 0.74x
Manningham 92 4.75x
Bowling 91 5.84x
Lambeth 91 0.66x
Poynton 91 77.21x
Salford 87 1.57x
Nottingham St Mary 86 1.55x
Macclesfield 82 5.26x
Belgrave 80 20.13x
Hulme 75 1.91x
Rushden 74 37.03x
Dukinfield 73 4.51x
Nether Hallam 73 3.43x
Brightside Bierlow 71 2.30x
Accrington 69 4.03x
Hackney London 69 0.77x
Saddleworth 69 5.68x
Dudley 68 2.70x
Everton 67 1.12x
Halifax 67 2.90x
Great Harwood 66 19.37x
Keighley 66 3.93x
Leicester St Margaret 66 1.54x
Hyde 65 6.28x
Wolverhampton 63 1.53x
Hipperholme Cum 62 8.97x
Cleckheaton 61 10.52x
Huddersfield 61 2.66x
Pudsey 61 7.25x
Mile End Old Town London 59 1.75x
West Derby 59 1.07x
Ovenden 58 8.28x
Castleton 57 3.03x
Bramley In Bramley 56 9.30x
Yeadon 56 15.76x
Camberwell 53 0.52x
Chorley 53 5.01x
Glossop Dale 53 4.55x
Northowram 53 4.80x
St Marylebone London 53 0.63x
Toxteth Park 49 0.77x
Bethnal Green London 48 0.70x
Shoreditch London 48 0.70x
Kippax 47 33.96x
Sowerby In Halifax 47 9.13x
Chorlton On Medlock 46 1.54x
East Ardsley 46 33.75x
North Bierley 46 5.41x
Southowram 46 9.58x
Stayley 46 11.48x
Cheadle 45 6.72x
Eckington 43 7.12x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 43 2.10x
Paddington London 42 0.72x
Farnworth 40 3.54x
Pendleton In Salford 40 1.78x
Romiley 40 40.45x
Adlington 38 80.99x
Portsea 38 0.60x
Rishton 38 17.19x
Spotland 38 1.81x
Warrington 38 1.70x
Southcoates 37 4.23x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Clayton surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 1,167
Elizabeth 657
Sarah 650
Ann 358
Jane 318
Alice 270
Annie 265
Ellen 248
Emma 232
Hannah 232
Eliza 227
Martha 191
Emily 148
Margaret 148
Maria 115
Harriet 95
Ada 90
Fanny 86
Florence 86
Louisa 85
Charlotte 82
Edith 80
Lucy 71
Anne 68
Catherine 64
Clara 63
Isabella 56
Frances 55
Kate 49
Harriett 46
Susan 46
Esther 45
Rebecca 45
Elizth. 43
Caroline 42
Agnes 40
Amelia 38
Susannah 36
Grace 33
Ruth 31
Gertrude 30
Rose 30
Lydia 29
Nancy 29
Matilda 28
Betsy 26
Eleanor 26
Ethel 26
Selina 26
Bertha 24

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Clayton surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 1,046
William 936
George 543
Thomas 536
James 519
Joseph 361
Henry 315
Charles 282
Edward 181
Robert 178
Alfred 166
Samuel 153
Arthur 145
Richard 142
Albert 108
Walter 108
Frederick 101
Harry 88
Frank 77
Herbert 70
David 68
Wm. 62
Ernest 60
Fred 58
Benjamin 54
Francis 48
Edwin 45
Tom 37
Thos. 36
Isaac 31
Matthew 27
Ralph 25
Daniel 24
Geo. 24
Peter 23
Joshua 20
Mark 20
Abraham 19
Alexander 17
Stephen 17
Sam 16
Joe 15
Percy 15
Chas. 14
Edmund 14
Jonathan 14
Saml. 13
Fredk. 12
Moses 12
Willm. 12

FAQ

Clayton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clayton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 16,272 people were recorded with the Clayton surname. That placed it at #238 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clayton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 21,431 in 2016. That gives Clayton a modern rank of #276.

What does the Clayton surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from various places meaning "clay settlement" or "settlement on clay soil."

What does the Clayton map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Clayton bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.