The Italian word that gives the meaning of this name is used in an Aria in the opera Aida by Giuseppe Vedri. The aria is Celeste Aida meaning heavenly Aida. I like the name because I like the aria, and because my father and grandfather also liked this aria.
Clay is a male MudWing, a Dragonet of Destiny, and the main protagonist in The Dragonet Prophecy, the very first book of the Wings of Fire series. Clay has fire-resistant scales, which he found out about when he pushed Peril down a tunnel as he tried to hide her from Queen Scarlet.
The American coot (Fulica americana), also known as a mud hen, is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken to be ducks, American coots belong to a distinct order. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step in order to facilitate walking on dry land.