Clayton

Clayton is an Old English place name, literally the settlement on clay soil, which later slid into surname use and then, in the American twentieth century, into first names. It was top-40 material in the 1880s, faded politely, and returned in the 1980s and 90s with a steady country-music warmth. Think of it as the cowboy cousin of Clay, two syllables that tip their hat without lowering their voice. It currently sits in the low 300s. Grounded, friendly, and a little dusty at the boots, Clayton suggests someone who knows their way around a fencepost.