NameCensus.

UK surname

Paddy

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Pádraig, derived from the personal name Pádraig meaning "son of the nobleman".

In the 1881 census there were 244 people recorded with the Paddy surname, ranking it #11,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 158, ranked #22,904, down from #11,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Stithians and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Suffolk, Cornwall and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Paddy is 269 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 35.2%.

1881 census count

244

Ranked #11,258

Modern count

158

2016, ranked #22,904

Peak year

1901

269 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Paddy had 244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016, ranked #22,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 269 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Paddy surname distribution map

The map shows where the Paddy surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Paddy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Paddy over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 259 #8,550
1861 historical 214 #11,365
1881 historical 244 #11,258
1891 historical 242 #13,048
1901 historical 269 #12,518
1911 historical 239 #13,321
1997 modern 156 #20,593
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 167 #20,374
2000 modern 166 #20,426
2001 modern 163 #20,372
2002 modern 171 #20,177
2003 modern 161 #20,697
2004 modern 153 #21,528
2005 modern 148 #21,961
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 148 #22,406
2008 modern 149 #22,530
2009 modern 148 #23,141
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 154 #22,886
2012 modern 155 #22,762
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 161 #22,728
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 158 #22,904

Geography

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Where Paddys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Stithians, London parishes, Phillack and Paul. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Suffolk, Cornwall, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Leeds. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Stithians Cornwall
3 London parishes London 3
4 Phillack Cornwall
5 Paul Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Suffolk 006 Mid Suffolk
2 Mid Suffolk 009 Mid Suffolk
3 Cornwall 066 Cornwall
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 014 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Leeds 012 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Paddy

These lists show first names that appear often with the Paddy surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Paddy

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Paddy, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Paddy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Paddy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Paddy is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Paddy is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Paddy falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Paddy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Paddy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Paddy

The surname Paddy traces its origins back to Ireland, where it first emerged in the 12th century as a variant of the Irish Gaelic name Páidín. This name is a diminutive form of the name Pádraig, which is the Irish equivalent of the name Patrick.

In its earliest recorded form, the name was spelled as Paidyn or Paydin, and it was commonly found in counties such as Cork, Kerry, and Limerick. The name is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "páid," which means "a small portion or share."

One of the earliest known references to the name Paddy can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of Irish history compiled in the 12th century. The annals mention a man named Paidyn mac Briain, who was a member of the royal family of Thomond (now County Clare) in the early 13th century.

As the name spread throughout Ireland, it underwent various spellings, including Paddye, Paddie, and Pattie. In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

One notable individual with the surname Paddy was Sir William Paddy (1554-1634), an English soldier and politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of County Kent. Another was Richard Paddy (1723-1808), an Irish architect who designed several notable buildings in Dublin, including the Rotunda Hospital.

In the 18th century, the name Paddy gained particular prominence in County Mayo, where several prominent families adopted the surname. This included the Paddys of Ardnaree and the Paddys of Foxford, both of whom played significant roles in the local community and politics.

Other notable individuals with the surname Paddy include:

1. John Paddy (1780-1854), an Irish politician and landowner from County Mayo. 2. Michael Paddy (1830-1912), an Irish-born Australian businessman and philanthropist. 3. William Paddy (1886-1955), a British trade unionist and Labour politician. 4. Mary Paddy (1913-2005), an Irish artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraits. 5. Thomas Paddy (1928-2011), an Irish hurler who played for the Tipperary senior hurling team.

While the surname Paddy has its roots firmly planted in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, due to Irish emigration over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Paddy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Paddy surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cornwall leads with 105 Paddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.13x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 105 39.13x
Warwickshire 27 4.52x
Middlesex 24 1.01x
Devon 23 4.66x
Staffordshire 16 2.00x
Norfolk 9 2.47x
Worcestershire 9 2.91x
Surrey 8 0.69x
Cheshire 7 1.34x
Somerset 4 1.05x
Kent 3 0.37x
Sussex 3 0.75x
Lancashire 2 0.07x
Royal Navy 2 7.08x
Northumberland 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Just In Roseland in Cornwall leads with 24 Paddys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2051.28x.

Place Total Index
St Just In Roseland 24 2051.28x
Falmouth 15 157.89x
Phillack 14 404.62x
St Stithians 13 878.38x
Stoke Damerel 13 37.65x
Coventry Holy Trinity 10 56.02x
Madron Penzance 10 102.46x
Paul 10 204.92x
Plymouth St Andrew 10 26.31x
Wolverhampton 10 16.25x
Kings Norton 9 32.42x
Chester St John Baptist 7 74.47x
Islington London 7 3.05x
Edgbaston 6 32.38x
Hackney London 6 4.51x
Penge 6 39.63x
Aston 5 3.04x
Thorpe Next Norwich 5 129.53x
Veryan 5 480.77x
Gwennap 4 79.05x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 4 36.56x
Paddington London 4 4.59x
Leek Lowe 3 28.17x
Newhaven 3 92.31x
St Clement 3 107.14x
St Pancras London 3 1.57x
Stoke Newington London 3 16.25x
Birmingham 2 1.00x
Brewood 2 86.58x
Corley 2 833.33x
Milton In Gravesend 2 16.49x
Pendleton In Salford 2 5.97x
Royal Navy 2 8.28x
Sheldon 2 606.06x
Weston Super Mare 2 20.77x
Bedminster 1 2.79x
Bridgewater 1 9.65x
Budock 1 49.51x
Camborne 1 9.04x
Canterbury St Mary 1 18.42x
Constantine 1 64.10x
Feltham 1 42.19x
Fowey 1 81.30x
Gerrans 1 138.89x
Kenwyn 1 14.25x
Ladock 1 131.58x
Lambeth 1 0.48x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 5.47x
Southwark Christchurch 1 9.00x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.18x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Paddy surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Paddy surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 19
William 15
James 8
Charles 6
Edward 6
Edwin 6
Thomas 6
George 4
Richard 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Frederick 2
Arthur 1
David 1
Ebenezea 1
Edgar 1
Elias 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Nathan 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thos.E. 1
Wm 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Paddy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Paddy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 244 people were recorded with the Paddy surname. That placed it at #11,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Paddy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 158 in 2016. That gives Paddy a modern rank of #22,904.

What does the Paddy surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Pádraig, derived from the personal name Pádraig meaning "son of the nobleman".

What does the Paddy map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Paddy bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.