Paddy
A diminutive of the masculine name Patrick, itself derived from Latin meaning "noble."
Name Census estimates that about 144 living Americans carry the first name Paddy. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 72.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Paddy today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Paddy births was 1934 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Paddy. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Paddy is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Paddys were born before 1967.
People living today
144
~ 1 in 2,380,238 Americans
Peak year
1934
28 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
2018 SSA rank
#6,958
Tracked since 1928
Gender
Gender distribution for Paddy
Paddy is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 341 total registrations, 93 (27.3%) were male and 248 (72.7%) were female.
Paddy as a male name
- Ranked #10,456 in 2018
- 7 male births in 2018
- Peak: 1948 (8 births)
Paddy as a female name
- Ranked #6,958 in 1959
- 5 female births in 1959
- Peak: 1934 (28 births)
Popularity
Paddy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Paddy from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 146 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Paddy by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Paddy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Paddy
The name Paddy has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language and culture. It is a diminutive form of the name Patrick, which derives from the Latin name Patricius, meaning "of noble birth." The name Patrick was brought to Ireland by Christian missionaries in the 5th century AD, and it became widely popular after St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
The earliest recorded use of the name Paddy can be traced back to the 16th century. It was a common nickname or pet name for those named Patrick in Ireland. The name gained popularity as a standalone given name in the 19th century, particularly among Irish families living in Ireland and those who had emigrated to other parts of the world.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name Paddy was Paddy Moloney (1938-2021), an Irish musician and the founder of the traditional Irish folk music group The Chieftains. He was born in Dublin and was instrumental in reviving and popularizing traditional Irish music worldwide.
Another famous Paddy was Paddy Chayefsky (1923-1981), an American playwright and screenwriter who won three Academy Awards. He was born in New York City to Russian-Jewish immigrants and is best known for his works such as "Marty," "The Hospital," and "Network."
In the world of sports, Paddy Lowe (born 1962) is a British motorsport engineer who has worked for several Formula One teams, including Williams, McLaren, and Mercedes. He played a significant role in the success of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton during their championship-winning seasons.
Paddy Considine (born 1973) is an English actor, filmmaker, and musician. He has appeared in several acclaimed films, including "Dead Man's Shoes," "The Bourne Ultimatum," and "The World's End." He has also directed several films, including "Tyrannosaur" and "Journeyman."
Paddy Ashdown (1941-2018) was a British politician and diplomat who served as the leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999. He played a significant role in the Northern Ireland peace process and was later appointed as the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he oversaw the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords.
People
Paddy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Paddy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Paddy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Paddy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 144 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Paddy going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,380,238 US residents.
Is Paddy a common name?
We classify Paddy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 341 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Paddy most popular?
The single biggest year for Paddy was 1934, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Paddy is about 69 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Paddy a female name?
Yes, 72.7% of people registered as Paddy in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.