NameCensus.

UK surname

Patterson

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Patrick, meaning "son of Patrick."

In the 1881 census there were 10,426 people recorded with the Patterson surname, ranking it #412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19,357, ranked #310, up from #412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, North Tyneside and Eyemouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Patterson is 20,009 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.7%.

1881 census count

10,426

Ranked #412

Modern count

19,357

2016, ranked #310

Peak year

2010

20,009 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Patterson had 10,426 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 19,357 in 2016, ranked #310.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13,373 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Patterson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Patterson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Patterson 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 6,824 #409
1861 historical 7,762 #357
1881 historical 10,426 #412
1891 historical 11,825 #377
1901 historical 13,373 #391
1911 historical 10,885 #450
1997 modern 18,134 #322
1998 modern 18,664 #324
1999 modern 18,862 #325
2000 modern 18,717 #325
2001 modern 18,253 #325
2002 modern 18,717 #324
2003 modern 18,103 #326
2004 modern 18,168 #325
2005 modern 18,101 #321
2006 modern 18,281 #318
2007 modern 18,521 #313
2008 modern 18,739 #310
2009 modern 19,494 #303
2010 modern 20,009 #304
2011 modern 19,524 #306
2012 modern 19,070 #306
2013 modern 19,472 #308
2014 modern 19,677 #306
2015 modern 19,457 #308
2016 modern 19,357 #310

Geography

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Where Pattersons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, North Tyneside and Eyemouth. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
3 North Tyneside 028 North Tyneside
4 Northumberland 002 Northumberland
5 Eyemouth Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Patterson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Patterson

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Patterson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Patterson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Patterson 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

Patterson is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Patterson falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Patterson 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 Patterson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Patterson

The surname Patterson is of Scottish origin, deriving from the patronymic name meaning "son of Patrick". It is a locational name stemming from Patton or Paton, an old Scots variant of Patrick. The name first emerged in the Scottish Lowlands during the Middle Ages.

In medieval times, the name was often spelled as Pattonson, Patonson, or Patriceson. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to 1296, when a John Patonson was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage pledges to King Edward I of England.

The Patterson surname can also be linked to various place names across Scotland, such as Pattonhill in Ayrshire and Paton in Berwickshire. These locations may have influenced the adoption of the name by families residing in those areas.

Notable historical figures bearing the Patterson surname include William Patterson (c. 1665-1719), a Scottish merchant and financier who played a significant role in the establishment of the Bank of England. Another notable figure was Andrew Patterson (1755-1841), a Scottish-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

In literature, Samuel Lyle Patterson (1850-1918), an American author and journalist, gained recognition for his works depicting life in the American West during the late 19th century.

Other prominent individuals with the Patterson surname include Sir Walter Patterson (1857-1935), a British politician and businessman, and William Robert Patterson (1789-1869), an Irish-born American industrialist and co-founder of the Anchor Steamship Line.

The Patterson name has a rich history, originating from the Scottish Lowlands and evolving through various spellings and place associations over the centuries. Its versatility and endurance have contributed to its widespread adoption across different regions and cultures.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Patterson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Patterson 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. Northumberland leads with 1,797 Pattersons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.86x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 1,797 11.86x
Durham 1,436 4.74x
Lancashire 1,249 1.03x
Middlesex 642 0.63x
Yorkshire 472 0.47x
Angus 387 4.10x
Lanarkshire 350 1.06x
Berwickshire 342 27.73x
Midlothian 317 2.32x
Surrey 270 0.54x
Kent 247 0.71x
Cumberland 229 2.61x
Roxburghshire 212 11.49x
Norfolk 203 1.30x
Dumfriesshire 122 5.42x
Hampshire 119 0.57x
Renfrewshire 113 1.43x
Fife 112 1.86x
Ayrshire 108 1.42x
Perthshire 108 2.36x
Devon 101 0.48x
Cheshire 100 0.44x
Warwickshire 97 0.38x
Aberdeenshire 89 0.94x
Stirlingshire 77 2.05x
Wigtownshire 71 5.25x
Essex 61 0.30x
Staffordshire 56 0.16x
Argyllshire 55 1.94x
Kirkcudbrightshire 51 3.46x
Selkirkshire 49 5.32x
Lincolnshire 48 0.29x
Glamorgan 47 0.27x
Dunbartonshire 37 1.35x
Sussex 37 0.22x
Inverness-shire 35 1.15x
Worcestershire 32 0.24x
Gloucestershire 30 0.15x
Kincardineshire 29 2.34x
Westmorland 29 1.30x
Herefordshire 28 0.67x
Hertfordshire 28 0.40x
Derbyshire 26 0.16x
Suffolk 26 0.21x
Isle of Man 22 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 21 0.15x
East Lothian 20 1.48x
Wiltshire 19 0.21x
Cambridgeshire 18 0.28x
Leicestershire 18 0.16x
Somerset 18 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 16 0.26x
Monmouthshire 16 0.22x
Royal Navy 16 1.32x
West Lothian 16 1.04x
Cornwall 15 0.13x
Morayshire 15 0.95x
Dorset 13 0.19x
Banffshire 12 0.57x
Berkshire 11 0.14x
Clackmannanshire 11 1.31x
Peeblesshire 11 2.30x
Bedfordshire 9 0.17x
Pembrokeshire 9 0.28x
Northamptonshire 8 0.08x
Oxfordshire 7 0.11x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.14x
Shropshire 6 0.07x
Channel Islands 5 0.17x
Radnorshire 5 0.61x
Buteshire 4 0.65x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.10x
Kinross-shire 2 0.78x
Orkney 2 0.18x
Ross-shire 2 0.07x
Rutland 2 0.27x
Anglesey 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 187 Pattersons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.24x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 187 8.24x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 163 2.97x
Bishopwearmouth 151 5.81x
Tynemouth 134 16.51x
Liverpool 124 1.69x
Berwick Upon Tweed 112 34.88x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 105 8.00x
Westoe 104 6.05x
Everton 95 2.47x
Kirkdale 93 4.57x
Toxteth Park 93 2.27x
Westgate 92 9.80x
Byker 91 12.15x
Dundee 91 2.58x
Elswick 91 7.52x
Barony 87 1.04x
West Derby 85 2.40x
Tweedmouth 83 43.93x
Bedlington 81 16.01x
Eyemouth 79 76.75x
Longbenton 64 9.97x
Newcastle On Tyne St 63 8.02x
Wallsend 62 12.90x
Glasgow 59 1.01x
St Pancras London 58 0.71x
Hawick 55 13.32x
Cramlington 53 26.46x
Chirton 52 15.16x
Govan 52 0.64x
Little Bolton 52 3.35x
Arbroath 50 15.99x
Edrom 50 94.66x
Sunderland 50 9.34x
Great Yarmouth 49 3.78x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 48 5.30x
West Greenock 48 3.39x
Cowpen 47 13.47x
Liff Benvie 47 3.28x
Birkenhead 43 2.40x
Middlesbrough 43 3.27x
Salford 43 1.21x
Barrow In Furness 42 2.55x
Kelso 42 22.84x
Lambeth 42 0.47x
Oldham 42 1.08x
Paddington London 42 1.12x
Manchester 39 0.72x
Portsea 38 0.93x
Stockton On Tees 38 2.60x
Birmingham 37 0.43x
Darlington 37 3.16x
Ford 37 40.75x
Heworth 37 6.20x
Hamilton 36 3.92x
Islington London 36 0.36x
St Marylebone London 36 0.66x
Aston 35 0.49x
Camberwell 34 0.52x
Bothal Demesne 33 45.50x
Kensington London 33 0.58x
Dunse 32 27.36x
North Leith 32 5.07x
Coldingham 31 27.96x
Falkirk 31 3.53x
Houghton Le Spring 31 14.80x
Kirriemuir 31 13.31x
Shoreditch London 31 0.70x
Stranton 30 2.94x
Bethnal Green London 29 0.66x
Coxlodge 29 25.16x
Cupar 29 11.06x
Poplar London 29 1.51x
Dalserf 28 8.52x
St Vigeans 28 5.50x
Woolwich 28 2.18x
St George Hanover 27 2.03x
Usworth 27 16.78x
Cardiff St Mary 26 2.66x
Preston 26 0.80x
Newington 25 0.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 591
Elizabeth 322
Jane 285
Sarah 228
Margaret 227
Ann 155
Isabella 131
Annie 107
Alice 72
Ellen 72
Emma 66
Eliza 65
Catherine 64
Hannah 60
Martha 53
Emily 40
Agnes 39
Frances 34
Margt. 34
Kate 31
Maria 31
Fanny 29
Charlotte 28
Edith 27
Florence 26
Louisa 25
Ada 24
Anne 23
Eleanor 23
Harriet 22
Caroline 20
Helen 19
Janet 19
Dorothy 18
Jessie 18
Rebecca 18
Susannah 17
Elizth. 16
Amelia 15
Georgina 14
Matilda 14
Susan 14
Esther 13
Julia 13
Rose 13
Clara 12
Ethel 12
Harriett 12
Lucy 12
Margret 12

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 586
William 474
James 340
George 278
Thomas 274
Robert 245
Joseph 100
Henry 99
Charles 78
Edward 69
Alexander 65
David 57
Richard 48
Alfred 45
Andrew 44
Samuel 44
Wm. 41
Walter 38
Frederick 35
Arthur 33
Harry 23
Thos. 22
Matthew 21
Albert 20
Ernest 20
Peter 20
Frank 18
Ralph 18
Francis 17
Herbert 17
Daniel 16
Edwin 16
Robt. 15
Archibald 14
Stephen 14
Hugh 13
Mark 13
Isaac 11
Geo. 10
Jas. 9
Christopher 8
Fred 8
Adam 7
Fredk. 7
Benjamin 6
Chas. 6
Norman 6
Anthony 5
E. 5
Lancelot 5

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Patterson households.

FAQ

Patterson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Patterson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,426 people were recorded with the Patterson surname. That placed it at #412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Patterson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 19,357 in 2016. That gives Patterson a modern rank of #310.

What does the Patterson surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Patrick, meaning "son of Patrick."

What does the Patterson map show?

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