PATTERSON
Patterson is a patronymic surname of Irish, Latin and Scottish provenance, denoting “son of Patrick”.
The personal name Patrick derives from the Latin Patricius, meaning “noble” or “of the patrician class”. In Gaelic‑speaking parts of the British Isles the name was adopted and subsequently abbreviated to forms such as Pat or Pate. The suffix –son was then attached, producing the surname Patterson as a straightforward indication of descent from a man called Patrick.
Historical records show the name emerging in the Lowlands of Scotland during the fifteenth century. The earliest documented instance is William Patrison, who appears as a witness in the “Episcopal Register of Aberdeen” in 1446 during the reign of King James II of Scotland. Later examples include John Patonson of Aberdeen (1446), Donald Patryson, burgess of Aberdeen (1495), and George Paterson, a monk at the monastery of Culross (1569). These attestations confirm the surname’s long‑standing presence in the Scottish region.
Patersons were historically associated with the clan known as Pheadirean, whose original territory lay on the north side of Lochfyne. The clan’s heraldic tradition includes at least ten distinct coats of arms; one such achievement displays argent three pelicans feeding their golden young in nests vert on a blue chief bearing three mullets argent.
Notable bearers of the name include Emma Anne Paterson (1848‑1886), founder of the Women’s Protective and Provident League and the first woman admitted to the Trade Union Congress in 1875. The surname’s diffusion beyond Scotland and Ireland into northern England from the twelfth century reflects the widespread veneration of St Patrick, the fifth‑century apostle of Ireland, which encouraged the use of variant forms such as Patrickson, Patton, Patten and Paterson.
Typical given names associated with the Patterson surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Robert
- William
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Paterson
- Pattison
- Patteson
- Pattinson
- Passon
- Pate
- Paddison
- Paterno
- Patersen
- Patersn
- Patherson
- Patreson
- Pattarson
- Patters
- Pattersen
- Pattersson
- Patterston
- Pattesson
- Pattieson
- Pattirson
- Pattrson
- Peaterson
- Peeterson
- Peitersen
- Petersen
- Peterson
- Petersone
- Petersons
- Peterssen
- Petersson
- Peterston
- Pettersen
- Petterson
- Petterssen
- Pettersson
- Petursson
- Pietersen
- Pieterson
- Pitterson
- Potterson
- Pateron
- Paters
- Pateson
- Patesson
- Patieson
- Patison
- Pattenson
- Pattern
- Patterton
- Paturzo
- Pederson
- Petersohn
- Pedersen
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Patterson in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 26,466 people named Patterson in the UK. That makes it the 305th most common surname in Britain. Around 406 in a million people in Britain are named Patterson.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Patterson
- Ian Hunter Patterson - Musician
- Henry Patterson - Novelist
- Gavin Patterson - Marketer
- James Patterson - American author
- Rory Patterson - Northern Irish football player
- Ottilie Patterson - Irish singer (1932 to 2011)
- Robert Patterson - Union United States Army general (1792 to 1881)
- Duncan Patterson - Musician
- Niall Patterson - Irish hurler
- Darren Patterson - Football player and manager
- Colin Patterson - Paleontologist (1933 to 1998)
- Steven Patterson - County cricketer
- Meg Patterson - Scottish surgeon (1922 to 2002)
- Barrington Renford Patterson - Kickboxer and mixed martial arts fighter
- Bryan Patterson - U.S. paleontologist (1909 to 1979)
- Mark Patterson - Football player
- Chris Patterson - Racing driver
- Marlon Patterson - Football player
- George Patterson - Missionary (1920 to 2012)
- Lynda Patterson - Anglican cleric (1974 to 2014)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.