Clay (surname)

Clay is a surname, and may refer to:

A

• Adam Clay (rugby league) (born 1990), English rugby league footballer
• Agnes Muriel Clay (1878–1962), English historian and writer
• Alan Clay (born 1954), New Zealand film director, writer and clown teacher.
• Albert T. Clay (1866–1925), American professor, historian and linguist
• Alex Clay (born 1992), American soccer player
• Alexa Clay (born 1984), American writer and researcher
• Alexander Clay (rugby union) (1863–1950), Scotland rugby union footballer
• Alexander S. Clay (1853–1910), American politician
• Alf Clay (1914–1995), Australian rules footballer
• Alfred Borron Clay (1831–1868), British artist
• Allyson Clay (born 1953), Canadian artist
• Amy Clay (born 1977), American-Australian rower
• Andrew Dice Clay (born 1957), American stand-up comedian and actor
• Angela Clay, American politician and activist from Chicago
• Arlene Clay (1912–2016), American musician, air traffic controller and judge

B

• Barnaby Clay (born 1973), British film and music video director
• Barry Clay (born 1955), Alaskan gold miner
• Beatrice Clay (fl.1886–1925), British educator and children's author
• Bert Clay (1915–1972), Australian rules footballer
• Bertha M. Clay, literary pseudonym used by Charlotte Mary Brame (died 1884) and then her daughter
• Betty Clay (1917–2004), English scout movement figure
• Bill Clay (1931–2025), American politician
• Bill Clay (baseball) (1874–1917), American baseball player
• Billy Clay (born 1944), American football player
• Bob Clay (born 1946), British politician
• Boyd Clay (1915–1978), American football player
• Brian Clay (1935–1987), Australian rugby league footballer
• Brutus J. Clay (1808–1878), American politician from Kentucky, son of Green Clay
• Brutus J. Clay II (1847–1932), American businessman, political figure and diplomat.
• Bryan Clay (born 1980), American decathlete
• Buddy Clay (1894–1967), American baseball player

C

• Caleb Clay (born 1988), American baseball pitcher
• Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali (1942–2016), American boxer
• Cassius Marcellus Clay (politician) (1810–1903), American politician and abolitionist
• Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. (1912–1990), American painter and musician, father of the boxer Muhammad Ali
• Cautious Clay (born 1993), American singer, songwriter and record producer
• Cecil Clay (1842–1903), American Union Army officer
• Charles Clay (American football) (born 1989), American football player
• Charles Clay (patriot) (1745–1820), American minister and politician, brother of Green Clay and Matthew Clay]
• Charles Clay (surgeon) (1801–1893), English surgeon
• Charles Travis Clay (1885–1978), English antiquarian and librarian
• Chuck Clay (born 1950), American politician
• Clarence S. Clay Jr. (1923–2011), American geophysicist and oceanographer
• Clement Claiborne Clay (1816–1882), American politician, son of Clement Comer Clay
• Clement Comer Clay (1789–1866), Governor of Alabama
• Craig Clay (born 1992), English footballer

D

• Dain Clay (1919–1994), American baseball player
• Danny Clay (born 1961), American baseball pitcher
• Darcy Clay (1972–1998), New Zealand singer, songwriter and musician
• Dick Clay (born 1945), Australian rules footballer

E

• Edmund de Clay (died after 1389), English lawyer and judge in Ireland
• Edward Clay (born 1945), British diplomat
• Edward Sneyd Clay (c.1768–1846), British naval officer
• Edward Williams Clay (1799–1857), American artist, illustrator and political cartoonist
• Elisabeth Clay (born 2000), American submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner
• Elizabeth Campbell Fisher Clay (1871–1959), American artist and painter
• Eric Clay (1922–2007), British rugby league referee
• Eric L. Clay (born 1948), American judge
• Ethel Clay, later Ethel Clay Price (1874–1943), American nurse and socialite
• Ezekiel F. Clay (1840–1920), Confederate colonel of the American Civil War

F

• Francis Clay (1923–2008), American jazz and blues drummer
• Frank Butner Clay (1921–2006), United States Army officer
• Frank White Clay, American Crow politician from Montana
• Freddie Clay (1927–1983), Indigenous Australian activist on Palm Island, Queensland, husband of Iris Clay
• Frederic Clay (1838–1889), British composer

G

• Genevieve Clay-Smith (born 1988), Australian writer and director
• George H. Clay (1911–1995), American airline executive and banker
• Governor Clay (born 1945), American songwriter and performer
• Grady Clay (1916–2013), American journalist
• Green Clay (1757–1828), American businessman, planter, military officer and politician

H

• Harold Clay (1886–1961), British trade union leader
• Harry Clay (1881–1964), English footballer
• Hayward Clay (born 1973), American football player
• Henry Clay (1777–1852), American statesman and orator
• Henry Clay Jr. (1811–1847), American soldier and statesman, son of Henry Clay
• Henry Clay (economist) (1883–1954), British economist and Warden of Nuffield College, Oxford
• Henry Robinson Clay (1895–1919), American World War I flying ace
• Sir Henry Clay, 6th Baronet (1909–1985), English engineer
• Henry Clay (rower) (born 1955), British rower
• Herbert Clay (1881–1923), American politician
• Herbert Spender-Clay (1875–1937), English soldier and politician

I

• Ivor Clay (1915–1958), Australian rules footballer

J

• Jabez William Clay (1852–1880), American founder of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity
• Jack Clay (1926–2019), American actor, acting teacher and director
• Jacob Clay (1882–1955), Dutch physicist
• James Clay (author) (1804–1873), English politician and writer about the game of whist
• James Clay (musician) (1935–1994), American jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist
• James Clay (Pennsylvania politician), member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• James Brown Clay (1817–1864), American politician and diplomat
• James F. Clay (1840–1921), United States Representative from Kentucky
• Jenny Strauss Clay, American ancient politician
• Jo Clay (born 1977), Australian politician
• Joe Clay (1938–2016), American rockabilly musician
• John Clay (Wars of the Roses) (fl.1471), English soldier
• John Clay (chaplain) (1796–1858), English prison chaplain
• John Clay (Nottinghamshire cricketer) (1924–2011), English cricketer
• John Clay (offensive tackle) (born 1964), American football player
• John Clay (running back) (born 1988), American football player
• John Cecil Clay (1875–1930), American illustrator
• John Granby Clay (1766–1846), British general
• John Morrison Clay (1821–1887), American horse breeder
• John P. Clay (1934–2013), American investment banker and founder of the Clay Sanskrit Library
• John Randolph Clay (1808–1885), American diplomat
• Johnnie Clay (1898–1973), Welsh cricketer
• Jon Clay (born 1963), British track and road racing cyclist
• Jonathan Clay (musician), American singer-songwriter
• Joseph Clay (1769–1811), American politician
• Joseph Clay (Georgia soldier) (1741–1804), American military officer and politician from Georgia
• Joseph Clay Jr. (1764–1811), American judge
• Josephine Russell Clay (1835–1920), American horse breeder
• Juanin Clay (1949–1995), American actress
• Judy Clay (1938–2001), American soul and gospel singer

K

• Kaelin Clay (born 1992), American football player
• Keith Clay (1968–2003) of Keith Clay and Shannon Thomas, American duo of murderers
• Ken Clay (born 1954), American baseball pitcher

L

• Lacy Clay (born 1956), American politician
• Landon T. Clay (1926–2017), American businessman
• Laura Clay (1849–1941), American suffragist leader
• Lauren Clay (born 1982), American artist
• Lawrence Clay-Bey (born 1965), American professional boxer
• Lionel Clay (1900–1965), Australian politician
• Liz Clay (born 1995), Australian hurdler
• Lucius D. Clay (1897–1978), American general and military governor
• Lucius D. Clay Jr. (1919–1994), American general

M

• Marcy Clay (died 1665), English thief and highway robber
• Marie Clay (1926–2007), New Zealand researcher
• Marshall Clay, American naval officer and politician from West Virginia
• Mary Barr Clay (1839–1924), American suffragist leader
• Mary Jane Warfield Clay (1815–1900), American abolitionist and suffragist
• Matthew Clay (1754–1815), American lawyer, Continental Army officer and politician
• Matthew Clay (swimmer) (born 1982), English swimmer
• Michael Clay (born 1991), American football coach
• Michael Clay (rower), English rower

N

• Neville Bertie-Clay (1864–1938), British army officer
• Nicholas Clay (1946–2000), English actor
• Noble Clay, American college basketball coach
• Norman Clay (1922–1950), Australian motorcycle speedway rider

O

• Odessa Grady Clay (1917–1994), mother of the boxer Muhammad Ali
• Otis Clay (1942–2016), American R&B and soul singer
• Ozzie Clay (1941–2005), American football player

P

• Paffard Keatinge-Clay (1926–2023), British architect in the United States
• Pauline Spender-Clay (1880–1972), American-English socialite
• Philippe Clay (1927–2007), French singer
• Phillip Clay (born 1946), American housing policy academic

R

• Ramon Clay (born 1975), American sprinter
• Randy Clay (1928–2006), American football player
• Raven Clay (born 1990), American hurdler
• Ray Clay, American announcer
• Robert E. Clay (1875–1961), American educator
• Robyn Clay-Williams, Australian academic and Royal Australian Air Force pilot
• Rosa Clay, later Rosa Lemberg (1875–1959), Finnish American teacher, singer and choral conductor
• Rotha Mary Clay (1878–1961), British historian and social worker
• Roy Clay (1929–2024), American computer scientist and inventor
• Rudy Clay (politician) (1936–2013), American politician
• Rudolph Valentino Clay (born 1943), American boxer Rahaman Ali, brother of Muhammad Ali
• Ruth Murray-Clay, American astrophysicist.

S

• Sam Clay (born 1993), American baseball player
• Shirley Clay (died 1951), American jazz trumpeter
• Sonny Clay (1899–1973), American jazz musician
• Stanley Bennett Clay (born 1950), American actor, writer, director and producer

T

• Tangimoe Clay, New Zealand weaver and textile artist
• Tettje Clay-Jolles (1881–1972), Dutch physicist
• Theresa Clay (1911–1995), English entomologist
• Thomas Clay (1892–1949), English footballer
• Thomas Hart Clay (1803–1871), American diplomat
• Tom Clay (1929–1995), American radio personality and disc jockey
• Tony Clay (born 1991), English actor
• Trevor Clay (1936–1994), English nurse and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing

V

• Virginia Clay-Clopton (1825–1915), American political hostess and activist

W

• Walt Clay (1924–2013), American football player
• Wendy Arlene Clay (born 1942), Canadian surgeon general
• William Clay (footballer) (born 1883), Irish association footballer
• Willie Clay (born 1970), American football player
• William Clay (cyclist) (born 1973), American track cyclist
• William Keatinge Clay (1797–1867), English cleric and antiquarian
• Sir William Clay, 1st Baronet (1791–1869), English merchant and politician
• Willie Clay (born 1970), American football player

Z

• Zach Dockar-Clay (born 1995), New Zealand rugby league footballer
• Zachary Clay (born 1995), Canadian artistic gymnast

See also

• Claye (surname)
• Paul Jean Clays
• Claes (surname)
• Clary (surname)