Find out how popular the last name Paddy is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Paddy.

Paddy, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Paddy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paddy in America

Paddy is the 45253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paddy surname appeared 473 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Paddy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paddy to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Paddy

The surname Paddy traces its origins back to Ireland, where it first emerged in the 12th century as a variant of the Irish Gaelic name Páidín. This name is a diminutive form of the name Pádraig, which is the Irish equivalent of the name Patrick.

In its earliest recorded form, the name was spelled as Paidyn or Paydin, and it was commonly found in counties such as Cork, Kerry, and Limerick. The name is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "páid," which means "a small portion or share."

One of the earliest known references to the name Paddy can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of Irish history compiled in the 12th century. The annals mention a man named Paidyn mac Briain, who was a member of the royal family of Thomond (now County Clare) in the early 13th century.

As the name spread throughout Ireland, it underwent various spellings, including Paddye, Paddie, and Pattie. In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

One notable individual with the surname Paddy was Sir William Paddy (1554-1634), an English soldier and politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of County Kent. Another was Richard Paddy (1723-1808), an Irish architect who designed several notable buildings in Dublin, including the Rotunda Hospital.

In the 18th century, the name Paddy gained particular prominence in County Mayo, where several prominent families adopted the surname. This included the Paddys of Ardnaree and the Paddys of Foxford, both of whom played significant roles in the local community and politics.

Other notable individuals with the surname Paddy include:

1. John Paddy (1780-1854), an Irish politician and landowner from County Mayo.
2. Michael Paddy (1830-1912), an Irish-born Australian businessman and philanthropist.
3. William Paddy (1886-1955), a British trade unionist and Labour politician.
4. Mary Paddy (1913-2005), an Irish artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraits.
5. Thomas Paddy (1928-2011), an Irish hurler who played for the Tipperary senior hurling team.

While the surname Paddy has its roots firmly planted in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, due to Irish emigration over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paddy

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Paddy.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Paddy was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Paddy has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Paddy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Paddy, please contact us.

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