Pb(II) adsorption was studied under different conditions (pH, time, metal ion concentration, clay amount, temperature) on kaolinite, montmorillonite, and their poly(hydroxo)zirconium (ZrO–kaolinite, ZrO–montmorillonite) and tetrabutylammonium (TBA–kaolinite, TBA–montmorillonite) derivatives. All samples were calcined (ZrO-derivatives at 773 K, TBA-derivatives at 973 K) before using as adsorbents. The data were interpreted assuming first- and second-order kinetics. The rate constants including the pore diffusion rate constant are reported. The adsorption data could be fitted with Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms, and the coefficients indicated favorable adsorption of Pb(II) on the clays. Determination of the thermodynamic parameters, ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG showed the adsorption to be exothermic accompanied by decrease in entropy and Gibbs energy.