Where have all the Patricks gone? The changing fortunes of a name

Analysis: when today's Irish parents consider names for their babies, they appear to be avoiding names of the past like Patrick

By Dylan Connor, Arizona State University

Our highest-tech encyclopedias, Wikipedia and ChatGPT, tell us that the name Patrick originates from the Latin patricius, meaning "nobleman" or "of noble origin". They also claim that the Patricks among us honor Ireland’s patron saint and reattach us to our deep Irish roots.

But this article is not about Saint Patrick. It is about the millions of other Patricks. Who were they? Where did they come from? And why in God’s name are there so many of them? Pondering such trivial questions can instruct on who we are and where we see ourselves going.

Few among us have not loved, loathed or felt otherwise apathetic toward a Patrick. My granddad, uncle, cousin and brother’s dog have all proudly carried the name (one Pat and three Paddys, to be precise). We have complicated feelings about Patrick and its derivatives. "Paddy" is at once a slur for the Irish in Britain and an endearing label that we apply to ourselves. We detest paddywhackery and Paddy-Irishman, yet we give the name to our most majestic cathedrals and our largest gambling establishments. Referring to the March holiday as "St. Patty's Day" counts among the most egregious faux pas committed by Irish Americans.

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From RTÉ Archives, a look at St Patrick's Day parades in Waterford city, Portlaoise, Cork, Limerick, and Achill Island in 1971

The Patricks of Ireland have left a formidable mark. Among their ranks, they count the poet Kavanagh, president Hillery, footballers Bonner and Rice, golfer Harrington, billionaire CEO of Stripe Collison, Kerry legend Spillane, media personality Kenny, novelist Scanlan and revolutionary Pearse.

Beyond our shores, Patricks pop up in the most exotic of places. One captained the Starship Enterprise and another - best friend to SpongeBob SquarePants - took up residence in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom. In the cult classic Dirty Dancing, we watched as the most breathtaking of Patricks tore up the dancefloor to the 1980s classic Time of my Life. On the big screen, Patricks have puzzled us and dazzled us.

Closer to home, we can find fragments of Irish history in who was (and who wasn’t) named Patrick. From the CSO’s list of baby names, we know that there were 266 new Patricks in 2021, 84 Páidís, 49 Paddys, 33 Pádraigs, 25 Paudies, 8 Pats, a combined 68 Pádraigs, Pádraics, Paurics, Padraigs, Páraics, and Padraics, and 6 Patricias! There were also 6 Patriks and 5 Patryks, a probable nod to our modern Irish melting pot.

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But Patricks have not always been easy to find in Ireland. Had you grown up in Spancil Hill (Clare), Termonfeckin (Louth), or parts of Creggan (Armagh) in the 1910s, one in five of your friends would be named Patrick. In places like Rathmines (Dublin) though, it would only have been one in 20 and in Shankhill (Armagh), less than one in 100. Why were parents in some places so much more likely to select the name Patrick? Some of it was just local tradition: boys in one generation were named Patrick and the next generation inherited those names. The other notable influence is of course religion and identity.

Patrick is probably the most identifiably Irish Catholic boys’ name. As Catholic parents elected to choose Patrick, non-Catholics intentionally avoided it (the reverse is true for names like William or Elizabeth). Putting numbers to it, 74% of Irish boys in 1900 were Catholic and around 10% of those boys were named Patrick. But more than 99% of Patricks were Catholic! To be a Patrick was to be a Catholic.

There was only one Patrick among the 5,000 Jewish men in Ireland in the early 20th century. In the 1901 Census, Patrick Black was 13 years old, born in Russia, and living with his younger brother Solomon. This Patrick had a more interesting story than most.

Despite their incredible staying power, the fate of the Patricks now hangs in the balance. Withstanding the newborns noted above, Patrick has long been going out of fashion. In the past, one in 10 Irish newborn boys were named Patrick, but over the last 20 years that number has dropped to one in 50. At this rate, we will soon be fortunate to count even one Patrick among our friends!

What’s happening to the Patricks? When today’s Irish parents consider names for their babies, they are avoiding the Catholic-sounding names of the past: the Patricks, the Marys, and the Bridgets. In their place, they have embraced more globally cosmopolitan names and, increasingly, less traditional names of Irish-origin like Rían, Tadhg, Finn and Odhrán for boys, and Fiadh, Éabha, Saoirse and Croía for girls.

The minds of parents have moved away from the Patricks of the past, and toward names that are less religiously-identified but which still make that authentic Irish sound. This cognitive shift reflects our self-image as citizens of a modern but still bona fide Ireland.

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From RTÉ Brainstorm, what Irish children's names reveal about us

Before you pour into the streets on March 17th, raise a glass to many Patricks whose history provides one small aperture into the great Irish story. Their names – as with all of our names – are a small but insightful window into our collective past and into how we imagine our futures.

Dr Dylan Connor is an assistant professor at the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

Where have all the Patricks gone? The changing fortunes of an Irish name

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