The first name Patricia
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “noble”.
Pronounced /pəˈtɹɪʃə/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Patricia means “noble” in Latin.
From Latin patricia (“noble”); later also seen as the feminine form of the saint's name Patrick.
More names that mean noble.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 22 girls were named Patricia, making it the 1,407th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 68 births (#443).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Patricia with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Patricia at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 167 girls born in the United States were named Patricia, the 1,336th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1951, when 56,446 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Patricia in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Patricia in Danish, Dutch, French, German, Norwegian, Romanian, Spanish and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Patricia
192 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Patricia ArquetteAmerican actress (born 1968)
- Patricia NealAmerican stage and film actress (1926-2010)
- Patricia HighsmithAmerican novelist and short story writer (1921–1995)
- Patricia KaasFrench singer, born 1966
- Patricia ClarksonAmerican actress, born 1959
- Patricia CornwellAmerican novelist, journalist, biographer, born 1956
- Patricia HeatonAmerican actress (born 1958)
- Patricia WettigAmerican actress, born 1951
- Patricia RoutledgeBritish actress (1929–2025)
- Princess Patricia of ConnaughtBritish princess (1886-1974); younger daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and Pr
- Patricia BathAmerican ophthalmologist and inventor (1942-2019)
- Patricia ChurchlandCanadian philosopher, born 1943
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Patricia mean?
- Patricia means “noble” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Patricia?
- From Latin patricia (“noble”); later also seen as the feminine form of the saint's name Patrick.
- How popular is the name Patricia?
- In 2025, 22 girls born in England and Wales were named Patricia, ranking 1,407th. Its peak was 1996, with 68 births.
- What are nicknames for Patricia?
- Common nicknames for Patricia include Pat, Patty, Trisha, Patsy, Patti, Tricia.
- Is Patricia a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 1,578,584 US babies named Patricia since 1880 were girls.
- When was Patricia most popular?
- 1951 in the United States, when 56,446 babies were named Patricia, its highest rank at 3rd.
- How do you pronounce Patricia?
- Patricia is /pəˈtɹɪʃə/, 3 syllables.