The village name 'Claydon' is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'clay hill'. The affix 'East' is used to differentiate the village from nearby Steeple Claydon and Middle Claydon, and from the hamlet of Botolph Claydon that lies within the parish of East Claydon.
The parish church dedicated to St Mary was completely demolished during the English Civil War, but was rebuilt afterwards. The current structure is largely of Eighteenth century design.