Meaning and background
The story behind Clayton
Clayton comes through an English surname from several place names associated with a settlement on clay soil. That geographical history is more precise than interpreting it simply as the material clay or as a modern invented combination. The English reading is KLAY-tun, with the first syllable carrying the stress. For a dog, it can work as a surname-style name or preserve a meaningful place connection. Because more than one English place underlies the surname, the spelling alone cannot identify a single hometown or family origin.
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About Clayton
Recorded as a dog’s name
Clayton appears in 10 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/kleɪtən/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/kleɪtən/ · primary stress on syllable 1K L EY1 T AH0 N
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.