How Many People Are Named James Clay?

There are approximately 520 people named James Clay living in the United States today. That makes this name combination uncommon, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 659,143 Americans.

This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name James with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Clay. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and ancestry information.

Estimated People with This Name

520

1 in 659,143 Americans

Combination Rarity

Uncommon

Very Rare Very Common

James: Popularity Over Time

Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name James. The peak year was 1947 with 95,020 births. The average person named James today is 57 years old.

Male
Female
0 19K 38K 57K 76K 95K 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Ancestry of the Clay Surname

Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Clay, from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau.

White
52.74%
Black
40.50%
Hispanic
2.43%
Asian/Pacific Islander
0.49%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.94%
Two or More Races
2.90%

How we calculated this

The first name "James" has an estimated frequency of 0.917% among living Americans, based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024 adjusted for mortality using CDC 2023 life tables.

The surname "Clay" appears at a rate of 16.56 per 100,000 people in the 2010 U.S. Census.

Multiplying these frequencies against the U.S. population of ~343 million gives 520 estimated people. This assumes first names and last names are statistically independent. Full methodology.

James Clay: Questions and Answers

How many people are named James Clay?

We estimate approximately 520 people named James Clay are alive in the United States today. The first name James is shared by 3,142,267 Americans, and the surname Clay is shared by 55,624.

How rare is the name James Clay?

This name combination is classified as Uncommon, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 659,143 Americans. The first name James is very common and the surname Clay is uncommon.

Is James a male or female name?

James is predominantly male, with 99.5% of bearers being male and 0.5% female. It peaked in popularity in 1947 and the average bearer today is 57 years old.

Where does this data come from?

First name data comes from the Social Security Administration (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables. Surname data comes from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau. Full methodology.

How Many of Me
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There are 520 people with the name

James Clay

in the United States

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