2000
#109,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Patrician
A surname denoting family descended from among the hereditary patrician class in ancient Rome.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Patrician. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Patrician surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Patrician in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Patrician, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Patrician
The surname Patrician has its origins tracing back to ancient Rome, derived from the Latin word "patricius," which referred to a member of the highest social class or aristocracy. This term initially described those individuals who were descendants of the original Roman citizens or "patricii."
During the Roman Empire, the patricians held immense power and influence, serving as members of the Senate and holding key positions within the government and military. The name Patrician became associated with this elite class, signifying their noble status and privileged position within Roman society.
As the Roman Empire expanded across Europe, the name Patrician spread along with it, becoming adopted and adapted by various cultures and languages. In medieval times, the name was often used to denote individuals who held prominent positions within the church or were members of noble families.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Patrician can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals bearing the name Patrician, indicating the presence of this surname in England during the Norman period.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Patrician. One such individual was Marcus Patrician (c. 1420-1492), a renowned Italian humanist and scholar who played a significant role in the Renaissance movement. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Patrician (1564-1631), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.
In the realm of literature, the name Patrician is associated with the English writer and philosopher, Francis Patrician (1597-1679), who was known for his works on natural philosophy and his contributions to the development of modern scientific thought.
During the 18th century, the Patrician family of Scotland gained prominence, with members such as Alexander Patrician (1708-1776), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Aberdeenshire.
In the field of art, the name Patrician is linked to the Italian painter and architect, Giovanni Patrician (1723-1799), whose works adorned various churches and palaces throughout Italy.
While these examples highlight some of the notable individuals who bore the surname Patrician, it is important to note that the name has been carried by countless individuals throughout history, each contributing to the rich tapestry of human experience and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Patrician
Among Census respondents with the surname Patrician, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Patrician bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Patrician surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 95
- Two or more races7.1% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Patrician
Patrician appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-30 bearers (-20.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 30,242 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-7 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,797 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,915 | 149 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-20.1%) | Down 30,242 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 7,797 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Patrician surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #140,157 | #147,954 | -5.6% |
| Count | 119 | 112 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Patrician bearers went from 119 to 112 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 7,797 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #147,954.
FAQ
Patrician surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Patrician?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Patrician. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Patrician?
Patrician ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Patrician. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Patrician.
Has Patrician become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Patrician went from 119 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Patrician?
Among Census respondents with the surname Patrician, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (5.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Patrician in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Patrician appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Two or More Races (7.1%), Hispanic (5.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Patrician (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Patrician mean?
A surname denoting family descended from among the hereditary patrician class in ancient Rome. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Patrician (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Patrician?
If you just want to know how common the surname Patrician is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.