# Patterson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/patterson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A Scottish and Northern English surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 205,423 |
| US rank (2010) | 117 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 1,503 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.5% (198,557 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpætəɹ.sən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Paterson, Patteson, Pattison |

## Etymology

From Middle English Pate, short form of Patrick, + -son.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Patterson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 67% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 27% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 2.4% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Patterson in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

## People named Patterson

- James Patterson, American author
- Clair Cameron Patterson, American chemist and geochemist (1922–1995)
- Floyd Patterson, American heavyweight boxer (1935-2006)
- Eleanor Patterson, Australian athletics competitor
- Carly Patterson, American artistic gymnast and rock singer (born 1988)
- Scott Patterson, American actor
- David A. Patterson, American computer scientist
- Gerald Patterson, Australian tennis player (1895–1967)
- Marnette Patterson, American actress and singer
- Patrick Patterson, American basketball player (born 1989)
- Robert P. Patterson, American federal judge, Undersecretary of War, later Secretary of War (1891-1952)
- Elizabeth Patterson, American actress (1874-1966)

and 43 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Peterson, Pederson, Paterson, Petterson, Pettersen, Petras, Peters, Patrick, Petersen, Pedersen, Pedraza, Pedroza.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.