Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1947

Pat

Meaning A diminutive of the female given name Patricia Gender Unisex · 60% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists

A diminutive of the female given name Patricia.

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Pat
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1947
2,544 babies
All-time total
66,855
#688 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Pat popularity over time

66,855 babies have been named Pat since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.511.5218801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 220 220 22 – –
1890s 12 266 278 28 +26% #1,477
1900s 73 366 439 44 +58% #1,093
1910s 454 1,323 1,777 178 +305% #805
1920s 2,516 2,725 5,241 524 +195% #262
1930s 12,463 4,309 16,772 1,677 +220% #142
1940s 16,150 5,487 21,637 2,164 +29% #134
1950s 5,256 4,820 10,076 1,008 -53% #274
1960s 2,884 6,046 8,930 893 -11% #349
1970s 242 787 1,029 103 -88% #1,898
1980s 67 229 296 30 -71% #5,713
1990s 6 111 117 12 -60% #12,649
2000s – 33 33 3 -72% –
2010s – 10 10 1 -70% –
2020s (to 2025) – – – – – –

The story of Pat

Pat is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1880, 66,855 American babies have been named Pat, about 60% girls and 40% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1947, when 2,544 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1940s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Pat stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Pat?

The median living Pat is about 76 years old; half are between 65 and 82. An estimated 35 thousand people named Pat are alive in the United States today.

median 76 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Pat year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – – –
2024 – – – –
2023 – – – –
2022 – – – –
2021 – – – –
2020 – – – –
2019 – – – –
2018 – – – –
2017 – – – –
2016 – – – –
2015 – – – –
2014 – – 5 #13,524
2013 – – 5 #13,559
2012 – – – –
2011 – – – –
2010 – – – –
2009 – – – –
2008 – – – –
2007 – – – –
2006 – – 11 #7,296
2005 – – 6 #11,115
2004 – – – –
2003 – – 5 #12,259
2002 – – 5 #11,999
2001 – – – –
2000 – – 6 #10,004
1995 – – 14 #4,447
1990 – – 20 #3,138
1985 6 #10,267 21 #2,483
1980 10 #6,633 26 #2,100
1975 17 #3,894 61 #1,078
1970 35 #2,260 191 #586
1965 162 #781 518 #332
1960 755 #349 1,000 #253
1955 359 #477 329 #401
1950 440 #386 384 #343
1945 1,520 #154 492 #264
1940 1,863 #134 482 #250
1935 1,327 #150 458 #253
1930 734 #227 373 #296
1925 198 #501 295 #337
1920 78 #820 204 #416
1915 46 #986 166 #420
1910 19 #1,023 58 #325
1905 6 #1,876 35 #353
1900 – – 50 #294
1895 – – 36 #303
1890 – – 29 #325
1885 – – 23 #374
1880 – – 12 #555

Famous people named Pat

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Pat Benatar Pat Benatar American singer and songwriter (born 1953) Contemporary
  2. 2 Pat Riley Pat Riley American basketball player, coach, and executive (born 1945) Contemporary
  3. 3 Pat Morita Pat Morita American actor and comedian (1932–2005) Contemporary
  4. 4 Pat Boone Pat Boone American singer (born 1934) Contemporary
  5. 5 Pat Buchanan Pat Buchanan American politician and commentator (born 1938) Contemporary
  6. 6 Pat Smear Pat Smear American guitarist (born 1959) Contemporary
  7. 7 Pat Nixon Pat Nixon First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 1912–1993 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Pat Hitchcock Pat Hitchcock British-American actress and producer (1928–2021) Contemporary
  9. 9 Pat Garrett Pat Garrett American lawman (1850–1908) 19th century
  10. 10 Pat Metheny Pat Metheny American jazz guitarist and composer (born 1954) Contemporary
  11. 11 Pat Hingle Pat Hingle American actor (1924–2009) Contemporary
  12. 12 Pat Robertson Pat Robertson American media mogul and minister (1930–2023) Contemporary
  13. 13 Pat Rafter Pat Rafter Australian tennis player (born 1972) Contemporary
  14. 14 Pat Jennings Pat Jennings Northern Irish footballer b. 1945 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Pat Cash Pat Cash Australian tennis player (born 1965) Contemporary
  16. 16 Pat Brown Pat Brown Governor of California from 1959 to 1967 1905–1996 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Pat O'Brien Pat O'Brien American actor (1899–1983) 19th century
  18. 18 Pat Torpey Pat Torpey American drummer (1953–2018) Contemporary
  19. 19 Pat Patterson Pat Patterson Canadian-American professional wrestler (1941–2020) Contemporary
  20. 20 Pat Barker Pat Barker English writer and novelist b. 1943 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Pat, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Pat?

The median living Pat is about 76 years old. Half of all living Pats are between 65 and 82 years old.

How many people named Pat are alive today?

An estimated 35 thousand people named Pat are alive in the United States, based on 66,855 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Pat mean?

A diminutive of the female given name Patricia.

How popular is the name Pat in 2025?

Pat did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Pat?

66,855 babies have been named Pat in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Pat most popular?

Pat peaked in 1947, when 2,544 newborns received the name.

Is Pat a boy or girl name?

Pat is used for both: about 60% of babies named Pat have been girls and 40% boys.

Is the name Pat rising or falling?

Pat has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Pat?

Well-known people named Pat include Pat Benatar (actor), Pat Riley (basketball player), Pat Morita (actor).

Names like Pat

Names that sound and feel close to Pat: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Pat with similar names → More names starting with P →