2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Patson
An English surname derived from the given name Patrick or Patricia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Patson. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Patson 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Patson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Patson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.7%) and Black (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Patson
The surname Patson is of English origin, emerging in the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name "Pate," a diminutive form of Patrick, combined with the common patronymic suffix "-son," meaning "son of." This suggests that the name originally referred to the son of someone named Pate or Patrick.
Early records of the name can be found in various medieval documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Hugo Patson. The name also appears in the Placita de Quo Warranto from 1292, listing a William Pateson among the landholders in Lincolnshire.
During the 14th century, the Patson family seemed to have been concentrated in the counties of Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire, with occasional mentions in other parts of England. One notable figure was John Patson, a wool merchant from Bedfordshire who lived around 1380. Records indicate that he was involved in trade with Flanders and the Low Countries.
The spelling of the name varied over time, with variations such as Pateson, Patteson, and Pattison appearing in historical documents. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or the preferences of individual scribes.
In the 16th century, the Patson family gained prominence in the city of London. One notable figure was Sir William Patson (1509-1572), a wealthy merchant and alderman who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1556. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and for founding a school for underprivileged children.
Another noteworthy individual was Thomas Patson (1560-1626), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. He is best known for his sacred music compositions, including anthems and madrigals.
In the 17th century, the Patson family had members who were involved in the English Civil War. Captain John Patson (1620-1682) fought on the Parliamentarian side and was known for his bravery in battle. After the war, he settled in Northamptonshire, where he served as a local magistrate.
The name Patson continued to be found in various regions of England throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable figure from this period was Sir Edward Patson (1785-1867), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London, including the iconic St. Pancras Station.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Patson
Among Census respondents with the surname Patson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.7%) and Black (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Patson 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 Patson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.5% · 95
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.7% · 13
- Black or African American5.0% · 6
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Patson
Patson 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
-11 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 14,899 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-15 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | -11 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 14,899 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 15,291 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 Patson 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 | #126,018 | #141,309 | -12.1% |
| Count | 136 | 121 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Patson bearers went from 136 to 121 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 15,291 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #141,309.
FAQ
Patson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Patson?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Patson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Patson?
Patson ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Patson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Patson.
Has Patson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Patson went from 136 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Patson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Patson, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.7%) and Black (5.0%). 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 Patson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.5% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Patson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.7%), Black (5.0%). 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 Patson (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 Patson mean?
An English surname derived from the given name Patrick or Patricia. 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 Patson (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 Patson?
See how many people have the last name Patson on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.