The Clayes Family Name

Clayes is best understood together with Clay: both are English spellings of a single family name. Its meaning, shared with Clay, is “Dweller on clay soil”.

• Related forms: Claye and Cley.
• Regional accents shaped spellings long before dictionaries fixed them.
• Clayes adds -es to the root of Clay, a familiar way of forming related surnames.

Heraldry and the Clayes name

Looking for a Clayes coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. Research your Clayes family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.