A male name. Latin patricius ‘nobleman’, the name adopted by the apostle of Ireland, whose original name was Sucat, when he was consecrated as a missionary. It has been chiefly used in Ireland and Scotland, but was common in the North of England from the 12th C cf. the surnames Patrick, Patrickson, Pate, Pates, Paty, Patey, Paton, Patten, Pattison, Pattinson, Paterson, Patterson). In Scotland Peter was formerly used as a diminutive of Patrick, e.g. Patrick, Lord Robertson (1794_1855), ‘Lord Peter, Who broke the laws of God and man and metre’. In Ireland, where it is one of the commonest men’s names, the pet-forms Pat, Patsy, and Paddy are in general use.

Patricius Curia Regis Rolls 1200-12, Feudal Aids 1284, Yorks Poll Tax of West Riding of Yorkshire 1379 1379. Paterick Early S. English Legendary, 14th C (E.E.T.S. 87). Patrycke Cocke Lorelle’s Bote c. 1515. Pati'rik Records of St. Mary at Hill, 1420-1559 (E.E.T.S. 125-8) 1527.

Latin patricius, ‘a patrician,’ the patricii being the three hundred ruling families of Rome; patricius comes from pater. The name was ‘as a title given half in jest to the young Roman-British Calpurnius, who was stolen by Irish pirates in his youth, and when ransomed, returned again to be the apostle of his captors, and left a name passionately revered in that warm-hearted land. The earlier Irish, however, were far too respectful to their apostle to call themselves by his name,’ Yonge; that we do not know the exact dates of his birth (late C4) and death (ca. 464) need not render us sceptical of his authenticity. Patrick, in any case, has, in C18-20, been by far the commonest m. ‘Christian’ in Ireland: see also Paddy and Pat.

From the Latin name Patricius, q. v.

Latin (masculine) - Noble.

A Latin name, meaning: Noble: patrician: aristocrat.

A Gaelic name: Pàdruig, Pàruig (with pet form Para), for Gillephadruig, Middle Gaelic Gillapadruig, Irish Pádraig, Giolláphatraicc, Old Irish Patrice; from Latin Patricius, patrician. Hence Mac- phatrick, Paterson.