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

Patterson, 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 Patterson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Patterson in America

Patterson is the 117th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Patterson surname appeared 205,423 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 70 people would have the surname Patterson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Patterson 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 Patterson

The surname Patterson is of Scottish origin, deriving from the patronymic name meaning "son of Patrick". It is a locational name stemming from Patton or Paton, an old Scots variant of Patrick. The name first emerged in the Scottish Lowlands during the Middle Ages.

In medieval times, the name was often spelled as Pattonson, Patonson, or Patriceson. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to 1296, when a John Patonson was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage pledges to King Edward I of England.

The Patterson surname can also be linked to various place names across Scotland, such as Pattonhill in Ayrshire and Paton in Berwickshire. These locations may have influenced the adoption of the name by families residing in those areas.

Notable historical figures bearing the Patterson surname include William Patterson (c. 1665-1719), a Scottish merchant and financier who played a significant role in the establishment of the Bank of England. Another notable figure was Andrew Patterson (1755-1841), a Scottish-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

In literature, Samuel Lyle Patterson (1850-1918), an American author and journalist, gained recognition for his works depicting life in the American West during the late 19th century.

Other prominent individuals with the Patterson surname include Sir Walter Patterson (1857-1935), a British politician and businessman, and William Robert Patterson (1789-1869), an Irish-born American industrialist and co-founder of the Anchor Steamship Line.

The Patterson name has a rich history, originating from the Scottish Lowlands and evolving through various spellings and place associations over the centuries. Its versatility and endurance have contributed to its widespread adoption across different regions and cultures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Patterson

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

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

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

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