Patricia
Latin patricius, “nobleman,” the feminine of Patrick.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Latin for 'noble'; for two midcentury decades it was America's perennial runner-up girls' name.
Patricia first shows up in the national records in 1884. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1921 to 1990. It spent 38 years inside the top 10. Its biggest year was 1951, when 56,446 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 3 nationally. All told, 1,578,584 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Patrecia (614) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Patrick, Patsy
Explore Patricia interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 58 | No. 620 |
| 1890s | 330 | No. 389 |
| 1900s | 1,336 | No. 234 |
| 1910s | 9,707 | No. 114 |
| 1920s | 74,732 | No. 10 |
| 1930s | 220,582 | No. 3 |
| 1940s | 411,412 | No. 3 |
| 1950s | 459,681 | No. 3 |
| 1960s | 231,178 | No. 5 |
| 1970s | 81,111 | No. 24 |
| 1980s | 45,127 | No. 51 |
| 1990s | 24,118 | No. 97 |
| 2000s | 9,320 | No. 226 |
| 2010s | 3,731 | No. 617 |
| 2020s | 1,200 | No. 1114 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.