2000
#2,880
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,448
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.24
Uncommon Last name
Patten
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of pattens, wooden-soled overshoes worn to elevate feet from mud.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,121 Americans carry the last name Patten. That puts it at #3,059 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,123 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Patten 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Patten with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,123
Census rank
#3,059
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,442 bearers of the surname Patten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3059th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Patten, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Patten
The surname Patten originated in England, specifically in the northern counties. It is derived from the Old English word "pæth," meaning a path or track. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as "Patyn."
In medieval times, the name was often used as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a path or roadway. It was also sometimes given as an occupational name to those who were responsible for maintaining paths or roads. The name Patten was particularly common in the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cheshire.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Patten, who was born in Warrington, Lancashire, around 1450. Another notable figure was William Patten, an English writer and diplomat who lived from 1510 to 1598. He is best known for his account of the Scottish expedition of 1548, titled "The Expedicion into Scotlande."
In the 17th century, the name Patten appeared in various forms, including Paton, Patton, and Pattin. One notable bearer was William Patten (1638-1718), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Patten surname was found throughout England, particularly in the north. Some notable individuals from this period include:
1. George Patten (1752-1819), an English businessman and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London.
2. John Wilson Patten (1789-1864), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the National Gallery.
3. Julia Patten (1812-1901), an English author and philanthropist known for her work with the poor in London.
In the 20th century, the name Patten continued to be prominent, with individuals such as:
1. John Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes (born 1945), a British politician who served as the last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997.
2. Chris Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes (born 1944), a British politician and former European Commissioner for External Relations.
The Patten surname has a long and rich history in England, spanning centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life, including writers, clergymen, politicians, and architects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Patten
Among Census respondents with the surname Patten, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Patten 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 Patten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.0% · 9,273
- Black or African American9.3% · 1,060
- Two or more races4.2% · 478
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 379
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 147
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 105
Timeline
Historical Census data for Patten
Patten 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
#3,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,730
+282 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 3.98
Rank movement Down 179 places
2020
#3,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,442
-288 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 3.83
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,880 | 11,448 | 4.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,059 | 11,730 | 3.98 | +282 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 179 places |
| 2020 | #3,059 | 11,442 | 3.83 | -288 bearers (-2.5%) | No rank change |
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 Patten 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 | #3,059 | #3,059 | 0.0% |
| Count | 11,730 | 11,442 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.98 | 3.83 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Patten bearers went from 11,730 to 11,442 (-2.5% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #3,059.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Patten
FAQ
Patten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Patten?
Name Census estimates that about 13,121 living Americans carry the surname Patten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,123 residents.
How common is Patten?
Patten ranks #3,059 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,442 people with the surname Patten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,121), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Patten.
Has Patten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Patten went from 11,730 recorded bearers to 11,442. That is a decrease of 288 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it stayed at #3,059.
What does the Census say about the background of Patten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Patten, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Patten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (9,273 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Patten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.0%), Black (9.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Patten (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 Patten mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of pattens, wooden-soled overshoes worn to elevate feet from mud. 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 Patten (3.83 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 share the surname Patten?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.