How to say it
PA · trick
/ˈpæ.trɪk/
Masculine
Patrick
Nobleman, patrician
What it means
From Latin patricius ('nobleman, of the patrician class'). Saint Patrick (5th century) was a Romano-British missionary who Christianized Ireland; his feast day is March 17.
Patrick comes from the Latin patricius ('nobleman, of the patrician class' — Roman society's upper rank). Saint Patrick (c. 385-461) was a Romano-British boy captured by Irish raiders, sold into slavery in Ireland, who later escaped, became a priest, and returned as the missionary who Christianized Ireland. His feast day (March 17) is celebrated wherever Irish diaspora communities settled — most globally in the US, where it became a broader cultural holiday. The name was rare in Ireland for centuries (considered too sacred for ordinary use) and only became common as a first name in the 17th and 18th centuries. Pat is the standard short; Paddy is the Irish form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #30 in 1964, currently #235 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Pat is the standard US short; Paddy is the Irish form; Rick is rare.
- Pop culture
Saint Patrick's Day and the green-shamrock association are unavoidable; for many Irish-American families that's the point.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Saint Patrick 5th-century missionary who Christianized Ireland; March 17 is his feast day
- Patrick Stewart English actor, Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in X-Men
- Patrick Swayze American actor, Dirty Dancing and Ghost
Spelling variants
- Padraig
- Patricio
- Patrice
Names with the same feeling
See Patrick from another angle
By meaning
By style