Patron
A masculine name derived from the Latin "patronus," meaning protector or defender.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Patron. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Patron today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Patron births was 2008 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Patron. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Patron. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2008
6 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2011 SSA rank
#13,802
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Patron: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Patron from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Patron 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 Patron 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 Patron
The name Patron has its origins in Latin, where it was derived from the word "patronus," meaning protector or guardian. This name was commonly used in ancient Roman society to refer to a wealthy and influential individual who provided support and patronage to others, often in exchange for loyalty and services.
During the early Christian era, the name Patron gained significance as it was associated with saints and patrons of various churches, cities, or professions. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name is Saint Patron, a 7th-century bishop of Avranches in Normandy, France, who was known for his piety and charitable works.
In medieval Europe, the name Patron was often used to honor saints or as a mark of respect for those who provided patronage to artists, scholars, or religious institutions. For example, Patron was the name of a 13th-century Italian nobleman and patron of the arts, who commissioned several notable works of art and architecture in his hometown of Siena.
Throughout history, the name Patron has been borne by several notable individuals, including:
1. Patron de Cabrera (c. 1160-1228), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
2. Patron Muñoz de Toro (1556-1630), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in the conquest of Chile and founded the city of San Luis de Loyola (now known as San Luis, Argentina).
3. Patron González de Mendoza (1545-1628), a Spanish prelate who served as the Bishop of Sigüenza and the Archbishop of Zaragoza, and was known for his patronage of the arts and literature.
4. Patron Germain (1666-1744), a French clockmaker and inventor who is credited with creating the first portable timepiece, known as the Germain watch.
5. Patron Mallea (1925-2014), an Argentine writer, journalist, and literary critic who was renowned for his contributions to Latin American literature and his advocacy for human rights.
While the name Patron has been used across various cultures and time periods, it has remained closely tied to its Latin roots and the concept of patronage and protection. The name continues to be used today, albeit less commonly than in the past, as a testament to its historical significance and enduring legacy.
People
Patron + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Patron 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
Patron: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Patron?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Patron 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Patron a common name?
We classify Patron as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Patron most popular?
The single biggest year for Patron was 2008, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Patron is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Patron in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Patron a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Patron in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Patron still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Patron in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Patron can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Patron?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.