John Clay may refer to:
- Sir John Clay, combatant in the Wars of the Roses
- John Clay (chaplain)
- John Granby Clay
- John Morrison Clay (1821–1887), American horse breeder
- Johnnie Clay (1898–1973), English cricketer
- John Clay (1924–2011), English cricketer
- The Red-Headed League, a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle with a character named John Clay
- John Clay (offensive tackle) (born 1964), football player who played for the Los Angeles Raiders and San Diego Chargers
- John Clay (running back) (born 1988), football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers
- John Cecil Clay (1875–1930), American illustrator
- John P. Clay (born 1934), investment banker and founder of the Clay Sanskrit Library
- John Randolph Clay, American diplomat