boy's name
Patrick
PAT-rik
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 1,175,355
the United States
#235
2025 births
Patrick is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "nobleman." It comes from patricius, a member of the Roman patrician class, and belongs to the Romano-British missionary who became Ireland's patron saint.
- Patrick is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1964, when 14,750 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,218 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Patrick over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,285 |
| 1890s | 2,233 |
| 1900s | 2,147 |
| 1910s | 6,138 |
| 1920s | 11,549 |
| 1930s | 18,500 |
| 1940s | 48,803 |
| 1950s | 97,135 |
| 1960s | 123,238 |
| 1970s | 91,798 |
| 1980s | 112,153 |
| 1990s | 93,159 |
| 2000s | 44,863 |
| 2010s | 25,322 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 10,101 |
What Patrick means
Patrick means nobleman or patrician — a specific Roman social rank rather than nobility in general. The word derives from pater, father, because patricians claimed descent from Rome's founding fathers.
Where Patrick comes from
Patrick comes from the Latin Patricius, from patricius, a patrician, ultimately from pater, father. Saint Patrick was a Romano-British Christian captured by Irish raiders around the fifth century, who escaped and returned as a missionary; his Confessio is one of the earliest surviving documents written in Britain. The name was considered too sacred for ordinary use in Ireland for centuries, which is why it was rare there before the seventeenth century, and Irish speakers used Gilla Pátraic, servant of Patrick, instead.
Patrick in use
Our data shows Patrick falling rather than rising, peaking in 1964, at 134 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880 and has never dropped out. Its Irish form Pádraig and the pet form Paddy carry the same name, though Paddy's use as a slur in Britain has restricted it.
How popular is Patrick?
In 2025, Patrick was given to 1,495 babies in the United States, ranking #235 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Patrick is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Patrick
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Patrick also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Patrick over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
4 nicknames for Patrick
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Patrick in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Patrick
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Patrick — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Patrick
What does the name Patrick mean?
Patrick means "nobleman," from the Latin patricius, a member of the Roman patrician class.
Was Saint Patrick Irish?
No — he was Romano-British, captured by Irish raiders as a young man and later returning as a missionary.
Why was Patrick rare in Ireland?
It was long considered too sacred for ordinary use. Irish speakers used Gilla Pátraic, servant of Patrick, instead.
How popular is the name Patrick?
In 2025, Patrick was given to 1,495 babies in the United States, ranking #235 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Patrick a girl's or a boy's name?
Patrick is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Patrick?
Patrick has 2 syllables.
When was Patrick most popular?
Patrick peaked in 1964, when 14,750 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Patrick?
Patrick is usually shortened to Pat, Paddy, Rick and Patsy.
Is Patrick a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Patrick currently ranks #26 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.