Meaning and history
Patrick comes from the Latin Patricius, meaning “nobleman” or “patrician,” and was adopted in the 5th century by Saint Patrick, born Sucat, a Romanized Briton who was captured by Irish raiders, enslaved for six years, escaped, later became a bishop, and returned to Ireland as a missionary. He is traditionally credited with converting Ireland to Christianity and is its patron saint; in Irish he is called Pádraig. The name was used in his honor in medieval England and elsewhere in Europe, but it was not common in Ireland until the 17th century because it was considered too sacred for everyday use, and it has since become very common there.
20062006: 3,947 births, rank #110
2007: 3,736 births, rank #116
2008: 3,339 births, rank #127
2009: 3,250 births, rank #129
2010: 3,139 births, rank #129
20112011: 2,868 births, rank #143
2012: 2,823 births, rank #140
2013: 2,598 births, rank #154
2014: 2,680 births, rank #152
2015: 2,535 births, rank #164
20162016: 2,360 births, rank #170
2017: 2,304 births, rank #171
2018: 2,124 births, rank #189
2019: 1,881 births, rank #207
2020: 1,867 births, rank #205
20212021: 1,791 births, rank #212
2022: 1,717 births, rank #218
2023: 1,601 births, rank #224
2024: 1,630 births, rank #221
20252025: 1,495 births, rank #235
Patrick moved from #221 to #235 for boys between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 1964, with 14,692 births.