2000
#6,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,968
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.84
Rare Last name
Pattison
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Patrick, meaning "nobleman" or "patrician."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,673 Americans carry the last name Pattison. That puts it at #6,572 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,419 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pattison 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 Pattison with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.7K
1 in 60,419
Census rank
#6,572
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,947 bearers of the surname Pattison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6572nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pattison, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pattison
The surname Pattison has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be an occupational name derived from the Old French word "patin," meaning a clog or patten. This suggests that the name may have been given to a clog or patten maker.
In medieval times, the Pattison surname was predominantly found in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Northumberland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1195, which mention a William Patynson.
The name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Patinson, Pattinson, and Pattenson. These variations are likely due to the inconsistent spelling practices of the time and regional dialects.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the Pattison surname. However, the book does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Patingham and Patton.
One notable historical figure with the surname Pattison was Sir Hugh Pattison (c. 1596–1658), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London from 1638 to 1639. Another prominent individual was John Pattison (1675–1727), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Bishop of Oxford from 1723 until his death.
In the 18th century, a famous bearer of the Pattison surname was James Pattison (1720–1789), a Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist who made his fortune in the linen trade. He founded the village of Pattison's Town, now known as Murieston, near Edinburgh.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure was Dorothy Pattison (1832–1878), an English author and activist who wrote extensively on women's rights and education. She was also a founding member of the London Dialectical Society.
In the field of science, one cannot overlook the contributions of Andrew Pattison (1837–1907), a Scottish chemist and professor who made significant advancements in the study of organic chemistry and dye synthesis.
While these historical figures provide a glimpse into the rich heritage of the Pattison surname, it is important to note that the name has been carried by countless individuals throughout history, each with their own unique story and impact on their respective communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pattison
Among Census respondents with the surname Pattison, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pattison 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 Pattison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 4,409
- Two or more races4.0% · 200
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 193
- Black or African American1.6% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pattison
Pattison 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
#6,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,217
+249 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Down 189 places
2020
#6,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,947
-270 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Down 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,316 | 4,968 | 1.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,505 | 5,217 | 1.77 | +249 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 189 places |
| 2020 | #6,572 | 4,947 | 1.66 | -270 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 67 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 Pattison 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 | #6,505 | #6,572 | -1.0% |
| Count | 5,217 | 4,947 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.77 | 1.66 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pattison bearers went from 5,217 to 4,947 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,505 to #6,572.
FAQ
Pattison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pattison?
Name Census estimates that about 5,673 living Americans carry the surname Pattison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,419 residents.
How common is Pattison?
Pattison ranks #6,572 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,947 people with the surname Pattison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,673), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Pattison.
Has Pattison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pattison went from 5,217 recorded bearers to 4,947. That is a decrease of 270 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,505 to #6,572.
What does the Census say about the background of Pattison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pattison, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Pattison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (4,409 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pattison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Pattison (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 Pattison mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Patrick, meaning "nobleman" or "patrician." 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 Pattison (1.66 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 Americans have the surname Pattison?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.