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Clay Family History
Clay Genealogy & Family TreeClay is an English name from Lincolnshire, England, where the family held a seat at Claye. It comes from the Old English word claeg which means "clay" and referred to someone who lived in an area where the soil was rich with this substance. In recent years, it is often used as a given name. The earliest known ancestor--Ralph de Clai--was recorded in 1172. The family motto is Per orbem which means "Through the world."
Other spellings include "Claye," "Cley," "Cleye," and "McClay." Notable people with the surname include American baseball player Ken Clay (New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners), American actor Andrew Dice Clay (Pretty in Pink, Dice Rules, Blue Jasmine), and American World Heavyweight Champion boxer Cassius Clay Jr. (better known as Muhammad Ali). The first Clay to come to America was Anne Clay in Virginia in 1623.
Clay Birth Records
- Name Birth Date Death Date Location
- Judith Clay -- --, 1673 December 0, 1706 Virginia
- John Clay -- --, 1741 December 0, 1785 Virginia
- Arthur Clay -- --, 1885 April 29, 1960 Oklahoma
- Teddy Howard Clay -- --, 1911 March 20, 1969 Arkansas
- Billy Ewin Clay -- --, 1930 October 17, 2015 Oklahoma
Clay Death Records
- Name Birth Date Death Date Location
- Lois Clay -- --, 1913 January 0, 1992 Arkansas
- Helen Jessie Clay -- --, 1920 April 12, 1945 Oklahoma
- Lois Clay -- --, 1913 January 0, 1992 Arkansas
- Lucille Hazel Clay -- --, 1908 March 15, 1988 Oklahoma
- Edward Larry Clay -- --, 1933 March 28, 1995 North Carolina


