Clay vs Cooper
Clay and Coopercompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Clay was ranked #535 and Cooper #121 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Clay was ranked #602 and Cooper #139 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Clay was ranked #365 and Cooper #146 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Clay was ranked #577 and Cooper #198 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Clay and Cooper over time
Clay and Cooper appear together in 1 published list, across 27 years of shared records. Cooper held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Clay in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Cooper reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Clay in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Clay #566 in 2021, Cooper #134 in 2019.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Clay held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Cooper in 23.
Highest recorded here: Clay #566 in 2021, Cooper #134 in 2019.
The order changed in 2000: Cooper moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #1505 and #1850; by 2000 that had become #2142 and #1425.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clay #602, Cooper #139.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Clay | Cooper |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An English occupational surname meaning 'barrel maker', from Middle English 'couper'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English (occupational surname) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkup.əɹ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cooper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Clay does not have one recorded yet.
- Clay has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Cooper.
- A meaning is recorded for Cooper; Clay doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Clay
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2357 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2017–2019
Highest recorded position: #365 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2019 (recorded 2017–2019).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Cooper
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2022 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1998–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys