Clayton
Clayton comes from the Old English "clǣg" (clay) and "tūn" (settlement, town) — meaning "clay settlement." The name began as a surname referring to someone from such a place. As a first name, Clayton is modern — essentially a 20th-century coinage. Clayton was a top-500 American name from 1880 to 2010, peaking at #232 in 1997. Clayton (the physicist Clayton Christensen, 1952-2020, whose "The Innovator's Dilemma" (1997) coined the term "disruptive innovation") gave the name academic weight. Clayton (the character in "Tarzan") gave the name a literary charge. I find Clayton has a slightly formal quality — the "Cl" opening is firm, and the "ton" ending gives it a slight masculine echo. The name has been outside the US top 300 since 2015. Clayton is a male name of English (place name) origin that means "Clay settlement". Formal, capable, and a little academic. The name sounds steady. Claytons tend to be thoughtful. US peaked #232 in 1997. Now outside top 300. Well-known people named Clayton include Clayton Christensen (academic), Clayton (English place name), Clayton (fictional, various), Clayton (surname). Common variations and related forms of Clayton include Clay (short form), Clayten (variant), Claiton (variant), Clay (nickname).