Explore the Family Name Patrick
The meaning of Patrick
1. Irish, Scottish, and English (of Norman origin): from the Anglo-Norman French, Middle English, and Older Scots personal name Patrick (Old Irish Patraicc), derived from Latin Patricius ‘son of a noble father, member of the patrician class’. This was the name of a Christian saint, a 5th-century Romano-Briton who became the apostle and patron saint of Ireland, and it was largely as a result of his fame that the personal name was so popular from the Middle Ages onward. In Ireland the surname is usually Scottish in origin, from Scottish settlers in Ulster in the 17th century. See also Peden and McPadden, derived from pet forms of Old Irish Patraicc. 2. Scottish and Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Scottish and Irish Gaelic Mac Phádraig ‘son of Patrick’. 3. English: variant of Partridge. 4. Irish: shortened form of Fitzpatrick and the now extinct Mulpatrick. 5. Americanized form of Slovak or Rusyn (from Slovakia) Petrík (see Petrik) and of Ukrainian or Rusyn Petryk. 6. Americanized form of Polish Patrzyk: unexplained. 7. American shortened and altered form of Russian Patrikeev: patronymic from the personal name Patrikey, derived from Greek Patrikios, a cognate of 1 above.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Patrick in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Patrick has slightly declined over the past decade. In 2000, Patrick was the 513th most common surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 552nd spot, marking a decrease of 7.6%. However, the actual count of people with the surname Patrick increased during this period from 58,257 in 2000 to 60,845 in 2010, a growth of 4.44%. But due to population growth, the proportion per 100,000 people saw a slight decline from 21.6 to 20.63, a reduction of 4.49%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #513 | #552 | -7.6% |
| Count | 58,257 | 60,845 | 4.44% |
| Proportion per 100k | 21.6 | 20.63 | -4.49% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Patrick
The ethnicity distribution of the surname Patrick also shifted slightly between 2000 and 2010, as found in the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest ethnic identity associated with the Patrick surname is White, accounting for 76.02% of Patricks in 2000 and 73.73% in 2010. The second most common ethnic identity is Black, increasing from 19.40% in 2000 to 20.35% in 2010. There was significant growth in the representation of Hispanic (48.28% increase) and Asian/Pacific Islander (43.14% increase) identities among individuals with the Patrick surname. The percentage of those identifying as two or more races went up by 24.84%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native identity experienced a marginal growth of 1.98%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76.02% | 73.73% | -3.01% |
| Black | 19.4% | 20.35% | 4.9% |
| Hispanic | 1.45% | 2.15% | 48.28% |
| Two or More Races | 1.61% | 2.01% | 24.84% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.01% | 1.03% | 1.98% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 0.73% | 43.14% |
Patrick ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Patrick is British & Irish, which comprises 53.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.5%) and Eastern European (6.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.0% |
| French & German | 21.5% |
| Eastern European | 6.0% |
| Other | 19.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Patrick
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Patrick have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
What Patrick haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Patrick is R-Z12, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z12 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L45 and I-Z138, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Brooks, Long, Hart, Taylor, Smith, Hill, Thorpe, Walker, Stevens, Johnson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Patrick surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Patrick have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Patrick" Surname 44.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Patrick" Surname 29.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Patrick" Surname 24.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Patrick" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Patrick?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Patrick are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition