NameCensus.

UK surname

Patrick

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Pádraig, meaning "descendant of Pádraig" (Patrick).

In the 1881 census there were 5,964 people recorded with the Patrick surname, ranking it #741 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,505, ranked #778, down from #741 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Kettering. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selby, Balmalloch and Fenland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Patrick is 8,594 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.6%.

1881 census count

5,964

Ranked #741

Modern count

8,505

2016, ranked #778

Peak year

2010

8,594 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Patrick had 5,964 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #741 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,505 in 2016, ranked #778.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,392 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Patrick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Patrick surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Patrick 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 4,306 #657
1861 historical 5,044 #558
1881 historical 5,964 #741
1891 historical 6,763 #677
1901 historical 7,392 #726
1911 historical 6,165 #837
1997 modern 8,060 #789
1998 modern 8,370 #787
1999 modern 8,340 #802
2000 modern 8,333 #801
2001 modern 8,071 #806
2002 modern 8,326 #797
2003 modern 8,148 #797
2004 modern 8,188 #794
2005 modern 8,016 #800
2006 modern 8,050 #798
2007 modern 8,155 #792
2008 modern 8,197 #791
2009 modern 8,431 #788
2010 modern 8,594 #786
2011 modern 8,495 #784
2012 modern 8,379 #780
2013 modern 8,564 #778
2014 modern 8,590 #779
2015 modern 8,525 #777
2016 modern 8,505 #778

Geography

Back to top

Where Patricks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Kettering, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selby, Balmalloch, Fenland, Waveney and Cheshire East. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kettering Northamptonshire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selby 003 Selby
2 Balmalloch North Lanarkshire
3 Fenland 004 Fenland
4 Waveney 013 Waveney
5 Cheshire East 037 Cheshire East

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Patrick

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Patrick

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Patrick, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Patrick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Patrick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Patrick 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

Patrick is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Patrick 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 Patrick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Patrick

The surname Patrick has its origins in Ireland and is derived from the Latin name Patricius, meaning "son of a noble father". It is thought to have been brought to Ireland by Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who was born in Roman Britain in the 5th century AD.

The name Patrick first appears in Irish records in the 7th century, with the earliest known reference being to a Bishop Patrick who attended the Synod of Tara in 697 AD. By the 9th century, the name had become widespread across Ireland, with many notable figures bearing the surname.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Patrick is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Patrick mac Fethgna" in the year 857 AD. The name is also found in the Annals of Innisfallen, another important Irish manuscript, which refers to a "Patrick Ua Muireadhaigh" in the year 1016 AD.

In the 12th century, the name Patrick began to spread beyond Ireland as a result of the Anglo-Norman invasion. It appeared in English records such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Patricius". The surname was also found in Scotland, where it was often anglicized to "Patrickson" or "Patterson".

Notable historical figures with the surname Patrick include Saint Patrick himself, who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century. Leabhar na Nucongbhála, an Irish manuscript from the 14th century, mentions a "Patrick O'Heyne" who was Bishop of Connor in 1349.

In the 16th century, Richard Patrick was an English Catholic martyr who was executed in 1593 for denying the spiritual supremacy of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Samuel Patrick, an English theologian and bishop who lived from 1589 to 1672.

In more recent history, Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin (1770-1840), known as the "Apostle of the Alleghenies", was a Russian prince who became a Catholic priest and missionary in Pennsylvania. Mary Melinda Patrick (1841-1931) was an American educator and founder of the Virginia Industrial School for Girls in 1915.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Patrick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Patrick 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. Yorkshire leads with 618 Patricks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.07x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 618 1.07x
Lanarkshire 567 3.01x
Middlesex 404 0.69x
Northamptonshire 335 6.12x
Staffordshire 321 1.63x
Norfolk 264 2.95x
Warwickshire 262 1.78x
Surrey 242 0.85x
Fife 223 6.47x
Northumberland 205 2.37x
Lancashire 203 0.29x
Renfrewshire 186 4.12x
Ayrshire 182 4.18x
Leicestershire 173 2.68x
Lincolnshire 169 1.82x
Durham 143 0.83x
Stirlingshire 142 6.61x
Suffolk 116 1.64x
Kent 106 0.53x
Essex 101 0.88x
Dunbartonshire 76 4.86x
Hampshire 74 0.62x
Angus 71 1.32x
Worcestershire 70 0.92x
Cheshire 61 0.47x
Derbyshire 60 0.66x
Nottinghamshire 57 0.73x
Gloucestershire 54 0.47x
Midlothian 46 0.59x
Bedfordshire 42 1.39x
Perthshire 36 1.38x
Sussex 31 0.32x
Oxfordshire 30 0.83x
Herefordshire 28 1.17x
West Lothian 25 2.85x
Hertfordshire 24 0.60x
Aberdeenshire 22 0.41x
Shropshire 20 0.40x
Kirkcudbrightshire 19 2.25x
Caernarfonshire 15 0.64x
Cardiganshire 15 1.06x
Somerset 15 0.16x
Cumberland 13 0.26x
Devon 12 0.10x
Denbighshire 10 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 9 0.24x
Huntingdonshire 9 0.78x
Argyllshire 8 0.49x
Glamorgan 6 0.06x
Wiltshire 6 0.12x
Berkshire 5 0.11x
Clackmannanshire 5 1.04x
Cornwall 5 0.08x
Buteshire 4 1.13x
Roxburghshire 4 0.38x
Royal Navy 3 0.43x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.08x
Inverness-shire 2 0.12x
Monmouthshire 2 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.11x
Rutland 2 0.47x
Anglesey 1 0.10x
Dorset 1 0.03x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.08x
Isle of Man 1 0.09x
Kinross-shire 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 163 Patricks recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

Place Total Index
Barony 163 3.42x
Birmingham 140 2.86x
Govan 113 2.43x
Kilsyth 103 75.25x
Wolverhampton 75 4.96x
Glasgow 71 2.12x
Kettering 60 27.10x
Aston 55 1.36x
Leeds 51 1.57x
Old Monkland 49 6.56x
Dundee 47 2.33x
Islington London 47 0.83x
Leicester St Margaret 43 2.73x
Battersea 42 1.96x
Kensington London 39 1.21x
West Greenock 39 4.82x
Hunslet 36 4.00x
Rowley Regis 35 6.39x
Brightlingsea 33 50.27x
Coventry Holy Trinity 33 7.53x
Kirkintilloch 33 15.53x
Wemyss 32 21.95x
Hackney London 31 0.95x
Kingswinford 31 4.35x
Bothwell 29 5.68x
Neilston 29 12.81x
East Greenock 28 6.57x
Leslie 28 32.09x
Dersingham 27 133.66x
Gateshead 27 2.08x
Corby 26 171.96x
Bingley 25 6.81x
Boness 25 20.69x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 25 0.80x
Seals 25 109.99x
Westgate 25 4.66x
Bromley London 24 1.87x
Geddington 24 136.29x
Abbey 23 3.34x
Banham 23 100.83x
Cumbernauld 23 26.83x
Dalry 23 11.22x
Doncaster 23 5.46x
Idle 23 8.60x
Lowick 23 76.29x
Burton Latimer 22 66.51x
Louth 22 10.31x
Clerkenwell London 21 1.53x
Lambeth 21 0.41x
Sculcoates 21 2.30x
Tamworth 21 19.99x
Toxteth Park 21 0.90x
Bermondsey 20 1.15x
Farnham 20 9.07x
Rutherglen 20 7.24x
Wellingborough 20 7.27x
West Ham 20 0.79x
Brigstock 19 91.43x
Dalserf 19 10.11x
Scoonie 19 25.46x
Wandsworth 19 3.39x
Wolstanton 19 3.18x
Attleborough 18 39.81x
Bungay Holy Trinity 18 49.48x
Falkirk 18 3.58x
Guildford Holy Trinity 18 33.30x
New Monkland 18 3.23x
Nottingham St Mary 18 0.89x
Paddington London 18 0.84x
Walton On Hill 18 4.81x
Cathcart 17 6.97x
Kilmarnock 17 3.28x
Liff Benvie 17 2.08x
Morley St Botolph 17 301.42x
St Marylebone London 17 0.55x
Balmerino 16 120.94x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 16 3.09x
Newchurch 16 2.83x
Old Cumnock 16 16.50x
St Luke London 16 1.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 304
Elizabeth 178
Sarah 139
Ann 94
Jane 90
Emma 76
Eliza 65
Annie 63
Ellen 63
Hannah 55
Emily 53
Alice 47
Charlotte 34
Margaret 34
Martha 34
Harriet 33
Louisa 30
Maria 30
Caroline 29
Florence 29
Agnes 28
Clara 27
Edith 27
Frances 25
Ada 24
Isabella 22
Catherine 21
Susan 21
Fanny 20
Susannah 18
Kate 16
Lucy 16
Harriett 15
Selina 14
Rebecca 13
Rose 13
Anne 12
Matilda 12
Sophia 12
Amelia 11
Helen 9
Ruth 9
Eleanor 8
Ethel 8
Lizzie 8
Minnie 8
Jessie 7
Amy 6
Beatrice 6
Rosa 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 266
John 265
George 161
Thomas 143
James 121
Charles 94
Henry 85
Joseph 77
Robert 46
Alfred 43
Edward 40
Arthur 39
Samuel 37
Richard 31
Walter 31
Harry 30
Frederick 28
David 27
Herbert 26
Albert 21
Frank 19
Benjamin 17
Ernest 17
Wm. 17
Fred 16
Francis 15
Jacob 12
Edwin 11
Stephen 11
Chas. 8
Fredk. 8
Peter 8
Tom 8
Daniel 7
Fredrick 7
Alexander 6
Job 6
Horace 5
Isaac 5
Jesse 5
Matthew 5
Richd. 5
Jeremiah 4
Leonard 4
Mark 4
Michael 4
Noah 4
Sam 4
Jas. 3
Ralph 3

FAQ

Patrick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Patrick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,964 people were recorded with the Patrick surname. That placed it at #741 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Patrick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,505 in 2016. That gives Patrick a modern rank of #778.

What does the Patrick surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Pádraig, meaning "descendant of Pádraig" (Patrick).

What does the Patrick map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Patrick 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.