PATTY
The surname Patty is of English origin and derives ultimately from the Latin name Patricius, which, in turn, was derived from the word patricis meaning “father’s, or noble, rank”. In medieval England the name Patrick was introduced through the Norman influence and was subsequently abbreviated in a pet form to Pat(t)y. This diminutive indicated the son or descendant of a man named Patrick and, by extension, implied an association with the Roman patrician class. Thus, the surname Patty can be interpreted as signifying noble or patrician ancestry.
In addition to its derivation from Patrick, the surname Patty also appears in early medieval records as a variant of a nickname derived from the Anglo‑Norman French term petit, meaning “small”. In the Wiltshire Assize Rolls of 1249 a man named Walter le Petiit is recorded, and later on individuals such as Walter Petitclark (1304, Gloucestershire) and John le Petit Smyth (1351, Essex) bear variations of this element. Consequently, the surname Patty and its many spellings – for example Paty, Pady, Paddy, Paddie, Petty, and Pettie – evolved as nicknames for people of small stature or to distinguish the younger of two bearers of the same given name.
The first documented instance of the family name is that of William Petie, dated 1198 in the “Feet of Fines” of Nottinghamshire, during the reign of King Richard I. Subsequent records in the late 12th and early 13th centuries include names such as John Petty in Sussex (1327) and John le Petit Smyth in Essex (1351). In Scotland, a woman known as Fergus de Pety was excommunicated in 1382 in the parish of Fyvy, and Master Duncan Petit (or Petyt) served as archdeacon of Glasgow in 1395.
Over the centuries the surname has accumulated numerous variants and alternate spellings. Common variants include Pattye, Patti, Pattie, Pattin, Pattee, Pattisen, Paty, Patey, Pattey, Pattee, and Patin. Alternate spellings, recorded in parish registers and civil documents, comprise entries such as Patten, Paton, Patey, Patie, and Paddee. Surnames that share the same origin are found in the forms Padget, Padgett, Padgitt, Paddick, Patience, Patou, Patridge, Patrickson, Patsch, Patsy, Pattysion, Patten, Patteson, Pattison, Patton, and Patwell.
In contemporary contexts the surname remains uncommon within the United Kingdom, with estimates of only around four hundred bearers in the country. By contrast, the United States possesses the largest population of individuals with the surname Patty, numbering approximately thirty‑six thousand and one hundred sixty‑nine. In the United States the surname is most frequently found in the states of California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, and Pennsylvania. In Europe, the name is more common in France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, and Switzerland, where the total estimate of bearers is about five thousand. These modern distributions reflect the diaspora of families bearing the name from its early medieval origins to contemporary societies.
Understanding the array of spellings and variants associated with the surname Patty offers insight into its evolution and the varied ways it has been recorded throughout English and Scottish history. The persistence of its link to the Latin personal name Patricius underscores the enduring significance of noble ancestry and patrician status in the naming traditions of medieval Europe.
Typical given names associated with the Patty surname
Male
- Alan
- Chris
- John
- Jonathan
- Samuel
Female
- Michelle
- Sheila
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Patty in...
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There are approximately 60 people named Patty in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Patty.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
