UK boy's name
Pat
A diminutive of Patrick, derived from the Latin Patricius meaning "nobleman" or "patrician".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Pat is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Pat popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4991, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 4 births.
This profile covers 16 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2017 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 22 living people in the UK are called Pat. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Pat ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 4 boys were registered as Pat.
- • Pat ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #392 in 2020.
- • About 22 living people in the UK are estimated to have Pat as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4991
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2021
4 births
Estimated living
22
2026
Meaning
What does Pat mean?
The name Pat has its origins in the Latin name Patricius, meaning "noble" or "patrician". This name was derived from the Latin word "patres", which referred to the aristocratic families of ancient Rome.
Pat emerged as a diminutive or shortened form of the name Patrick, which was popularized by Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Patrick lived in the 5th century AD and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. His name was derived from the Latin "Patricius", emphasizing his noble status.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Pat can be found in the 12th-century document "The Annals of Ulster", where it was mentioned in reference to a person named "Pádraig Ua Longáin". This Irish name was an anglicized version of the Latin "Patricius".
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Pat. One of the most famous was Pat Garrett, an American Old West lawman and sheriff (1850-1908) best known for his involvement in the pursuit and eventual killing of the outlaw Billy the Kid.
Another prominent figure was Pat Nixon (1912-1993), the wife of former US President Richard Nixon. She was known for her role as the First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974.
In the world of sports, Pat Summitt (1952-2016) was a legendary women's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee. She led the Lady Vols to eight NCAA championships and is considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport.
Pat Buchanan (born 1938) is an American political commentator, author, and former presidential candidate. He is known for his conservative views and has been a prominent figure in American politics for several decades.
Pat Sajak (born 1946) is an American television personality and the longtime host of the popular game show "Wheel of Fortune". He has been hosting the show since 1981 and has become a household name in the United States.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Pat over time
The chart below shows babies named Pat registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2017 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Pat, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pat by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Pat was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4590 | 10 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4757 | 6 | 2 |
Geography
Where Pat is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Pat. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Pat ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #392 in 2020.
Across the UK
Pat in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#392 in 2020
2 years of NISRA records, 6 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Pat
-
Pat Sullivan
association football player
association football player
1971-
-
Pat Thomas
pianist
British pianist
1960-
-
Pat Storey
Anglican priest
Irish bishop
1960-
-
Pat Symonds
engineer
British motorsport engineer
1953-
-
Pat Thomas
boxer
British boxer
1950-
-
Pat Stanton
association football coach; association football player
Scottish footballer and manager (born 1944)
1944-
-
Pat Waters
association football coach; association football player
Scottish footballer (1943-2008)
1943-2008
-
Pat Wright
association football coach; association football player
English footballer (born 1940)
1940-2023
Related
Names similar to Pat
- Patrick 17,559
- Peter 13,150
- Paul 8,542
- Philip 4,997
- Parker 4,664
- Phoenix 3,865
- Preston 3,370
- Prince 1,782
- Patryk 1,763
- Phillip 1,697
- Percy 1,395
- Perry 1,015
FAQ
Pat: questions and answers
How popular is the name Pat in the UK right now?
In 2023, Pat was ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Pat most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 4 babies registered as Pat in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Pat?
A diminutive of Patrick, derived from the Latin Patricius meaning "nobleman" or "patrician".
How many people are called Pat in the UK?
A total of 16 babies have been registered as Pat across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 6 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Pat most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Pat ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #392 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.