Klay: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,882

among boys · ↑227 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Klay · +18% vs 2024

How common

1 in 20,334

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2022

103 babies

All-time total

1,616

#3,762 all-time among boys

First recorded

1958

in Social Security records

Klay popularity over time

1,616 babies have been named Klay since 1958, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	21	2	–	#2,359
1960s	48	5	+129%	#2,780
1970s	58	6	+21%	#3,258
1980s	82	8	+41%	#2,682
1990s	195	20	+138%	#2,594
2000s	161	16	-17%	#3,121
2010s	532	53	+230%	#1,632
2020s (to 2025)	519	87	+63%	#1,669

Where Klay is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 boys	Implied rank
2026	84	0.05	outside top 500
2027	83	0.05	outside top 500
2028	83	0.05	outside top 500
2029	83	0.05	outside top 500
2030	83	0.05	outside top 500

Where Klay is most popular

Boys named Klay per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.049 per 1,000. Strongest in California, Washington, and Utah.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Klay born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Boys 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
California	60	0.066	+33%
Washington	9	0.055	+12%
Utah	5	0.052	+6%
Pennsylvania	11	0.041	-16%
Texas	34	0.039	-22%
Missouri	5	0.036	-27%
Indiana	5	0.031	-37%
Virginia	5	0.026	-47%
Michigan	5	0.024	-51%
New York	5	0.012	-77%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Florida	–	–	–
Georgia	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Illinois	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Massachusetts	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Carolina	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Jersey	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Ohio	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Tennessee	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Klay

Klay is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,882 in 2025 with 84 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1958, 1,616 American babies have been named Klay. Its peak came in 2022, when 103 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Klay stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Klay?

The median living Klay is about 9 years old; half are between 4 and 25. An estimated 1,600 people named Klay are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Klay year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	84	#1,882
2024	71	#2,109
2023	99	#1,706
2022	103	#1,669
2021	69	#2,102
2020	93	#1,692
2019	91	#1,731
2018	90	#1,729
2017	76	#1,907
2016	98	#1,632
2015	64	#2,157
2014	30	#3,577
2013	29	#3,624
2012	20	#4,798
2011	23	#4,294
2010	11	#7,363
2009	8	#9,499
2008	16	#5,654
2007	12	#6,891
2006	9	#8,430
2005	18	#4,744
2004	15	#5,388
2003	20	#4,209
2002	16	#4,825
2001	19	#4,218
2000	28	#3,121
1995	24	#2,984
1990	18	#3,398
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	7	#4,575
1970	8	#3,688
1965	–	–
1960	10	#2,780
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Klay

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Klay Thompson American basketball player (born 1990) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Klay, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Klay?

The median living Klay is about 9 years old. Half of all living Klays are between 4 and 25 years old.

How many people named Klay are alive today?

An estimated 1,600 people named Klay are alive in the United States, based on 1,616 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Klay in 2025?

Klay ranked #1,882 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 84 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Klay?

1,616 babies have been named Klay in the United States since 1958, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Klay most popular?

Klay peaked in 2022, when 103 newborns received the name.

Is Klay a boy or girl name?

Klay is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Klay rising or falling?

Klay is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Klay become more popular?

Klay looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 83 boys named Klay in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Klay?

Well-known people named Klay include Klay Thompson (basketball player).

Names like Klay

Names that sound and feel close to Klay: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Klay with similar names → More names starting with K →