Pat

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Pat

Pronounced PAT /ˈpæt/High

Meaning: Pat is the clipped form of Patricia (feminine of Patrick), from Latin patricius, 'nobleman; of the patrician rank.' As a girl's name Pat is almost always Patricia in short; it inherits that 'noble' meaning.Medium

In 30 seconds: Pat is Patricia in one syllable (said 'PAT'), carrying the Latin sense 'noble.' A crisp, unisex classic.

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Origin MediumLatin

MeaningPat is the clipped form of Patricia (feminine of Patrick), from Latin patricius, 'nobleman; of the patrician rank.' As a girl's name Pat is almost always Patricia in short; it inherits that 'noble' meaning.

U.S. rank (1991)#12649 ↘ Falling

1991 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1941

Total births (all-time)≈ 40,122

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Pat is the everyday shortening of Patricia, 'noble' (Latin patricius). It peaked for girls in 1941, when Patricia itself was near the top of the charts, and it faded across the second half of the century. The same short form serves the boy's name Patrick, making Pat a true unisex pick.

A woman named Pat at its 1941 peak is now in her mid-eighties. The name is plain, warm, and unmistakably of the World-War-II generation; it reads as vintage but has not yet caught the revival wind. Its neat one-beat sound and the shared Patricia/Patrick lineage make it easy to place.

Did you know? Pat sat near its high in the 1940s, when Patricia was among the most-given names in America and 'Pat' was its universal short form for a generation of girls.

Overall data confidence 68%

References — Pat — Short form of Patricia (Lat patricius); 1941 peak

Variations

PatriciaPatricaPat

Nicknames

PattyPatsy

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Pat…

Patricia— the full parent name Pat shortens

Patsy— a like Patricia nickname-name

Patty— a same-family short form

Trish— another short form of Patricia

Explore names like Pat

By themeshort unisex nickname-name noble 1940s

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Pat mean?

As a girl's name Pat is the short form of Patricia, from Latin patricius, 'noble.'

How do you pronounce Pat?

It's said PAT /ˈpæt/ — one syllable.

Is Pat a boy or girl name?

Pat is thoroughly unisex; this entry is the girl's use, as a short form of Patricia.

How popular is Pat?

Pat was near its height in the early forties with Patricia and has been rare since; it reads as a wartime-generation name.