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

Patchen, 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 Patchen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Patchen in America

Patchen is the 17406th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Patchen surname appeared 1,621 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Patchen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Patchen 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 Patchen

The surname Patchen is believed to have originated in Germany, with records tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Pate," meaning "godfather," or "Paten," meaning "sponsor." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to a godfather or a sponsor of a child's baptism.

One of the earliest known records of the Patchen surname dates back to 1592, when a Johannes Patchen was mentioned in the church records of the town of Wittenberg, which was a significant center of the Protestant Reformation. This indicates that the name may have been associated with the Protestant faith during its early years.

In the 17th century, the Patchen surname began to spread throughout various regions of Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the name in areas such as Saxony, Brandenburg, and Bavaria. During this period, variations in spelling emerged, including Patchen, Patschen, and Patscher.

The first notable figure with the Patchen surname was Johann Patchen (1615-1678), a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on Protestant doctrine and theology. His works were widely read and influential during the latter part of the Thirty Years' War and the subsequent decades.

Another prominent individual was Friedrich Patchen (1732-1804), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were widely performed and admired during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Patchen surname began to appear in various parts of Europe and North America, likely due to emigration from Germany. One notable figure from this period was Henry Patchen (1813-1892), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of New York.

Another significant individual was Robert Patchen (1856-1935), an American author and journalist who wrote for several publications, including The Atlantic Monthly and The Century Magazine. He was known for his vivid descriptions of life in the American West and his portrayal of the struggles of Native American tribes.

In the 20th century, the name Patchen gained further recognition with the American poet Kenneth Patchen (1911-1972), who was renowned for his experimental and avant-garde writing style. His works, which often incorporated visual elements and explored themes of social justice and pacifism, earned him a significant following among literary circles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Patchen

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

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 Patchen 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 Patchen 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 Patchen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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