Given name & surname
Pat
“patrician”·“a nobleman; patrician”·“of noble descent”
In English use, Pat is a short form of Patrick. Interpretations include “patrician” and “a nobleman; patrician” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions. In English use, Pat is a short form of Patricia. In English use, Patricia carries the interpretation “of noble descent.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Pat is a short form of Patrick. Interpretations include “patrician” and “a nobleman; patrician” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions. In English use, Pat is a short form of Patricia. In English use, Patricia carries the interpretation “of noble descent.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Pat is a short form of Patrick. An origin associated with Patrick is Latin.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Pat is a diminutive of Patricia. In English usage, Pat is a diminutive of Patrick.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Pat through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 66,855
- 26,732 boys · 40,123 girls
- Most popular year
- 1947
- 2,544 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 40% boys.
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2014. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,000 in 1960. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 40,768 as a first name in 2020; 744 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Pat’s family of names
In English usage, Pat is a diminutive of Patricia. Pat has a related form in Patrick. Pat is a short form of Patricia.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Pat has relatives in 5 languages.
8 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 24
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Pat
- Pat NixonFirst Lady of the United States from 1969 to 19741912–1993
- Pat RafterAustralian tennis playerborn 1972
- Pat BuchananAmerican politician and commentatorborn 1938
- Pat BenatarAmerican singerborn 1953
- Pat HingleAmerican actor (1924–2009)
- Pat JenningsNorthern Irish footballerborn 1945
- Pat MoritaJapanese-American actor (1932–2005)
- Pat BooneAmerican singer (born 1934)
- Pat RileyAmerican basketball player, coach and executiveborn 1945
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Pat, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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