Patricia

pah-TRISH-ah, pah-TRISH-ee-ah
Latin
"noble, patrician"

Patricia Origin and Meaning

The name Patricia is a girl's name of Latin origin meaning "noble, patrician".

Patricia still sounds patrician, though its scores of nicknames definitely don't. Wildly popular from the forties (alternately Number 3 and 4 throughout the decade) to the sixties, Patricia has been fading ever since. But a comeback in its full form is definitely conceivable—just look at Penelope.

Patricia began not in Ireland, as some may think, but evolved in Scotland, going on to become mega popular in Britain after the christening of Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Patricia of Connaught, known as "Princess Pat" (though called Patsy by the family).

Several of Patricia's short forms took on lives of their own—first Patsy, which was replaced by Patti/Patty, followed by the more upwardly mobile Tricia, Trisha, Trish, Tisha, and Tish. Patrizia is an attractive Italian version.

Two bestselling contemporary novelists are Patricia Highsmith and Patricia Cornwell, and Patricia is also Rooney Mara's birth name.

# 938 in the US

Patricia Rank in US Top 1000

# 663 on Nameberry

Patricia Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Patricia Popularity

Famous People Named Patricia

  • Patricia Castle Richardson
    American actress
  • Patricia (Carroll Daniels) Cornwell
    American novelist
  • Patricia T. Arquette
    American actress
  • Patricia Mell "Patti" Blagojevich
    wife of U.S. politician Rod Blagojevich
  • Patricia Helen "Pat" Kennedy Lawford
    sister of President John F. Kennedy, wife of actor Peter Lawford
  • Patricia Marie Elizabeth "Patti" Murin
    American actress
  • Patricia Helen Heaton
    American actress
  • Patricia Davies Clarkson
    American actress
  • Patsy Louise "Patricia" Neal
    American actress
  • Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith
    American singer,songwriter and poet
  • (Mary) Patricia Highsmith
    American novelist
  • Patricia Lynn "Patty" Murray
    U.S. Senator from Washington
  • Patricia Jane "Patty" Berg
    American pro golfer
  • Patricia Jean "Patty" Griffin
    American singer,songwriter
  • (Victoria) Patricia Helena Elizabeth
    Princess of Connaught, granddaughter of Britain's Queen Victoria
  • Patricia Anne "Pattie" Boyd
    English model and photographer, ex,wife of Eric Clapton and George Harrison
  • Patricia "Pattie" Mallette
    mother of Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber
  • Patricia Day
    Danish lead singer and bassist of band Horrorpops
  • Patricia Donnelly
    Miss America 1939
  • Patricia Rooney Mara
    American actress and heiress
  • Patricia Tarabini
    Argentine tennis player
  • Patricia Mayr
    Achleitner, Austrian tennis player
  • Patricia Hy
    Boulais, Hong,Kong,Canadian tennis player
  • Patricia Lee
    Lloyd, half,sister of Oprah Winfrey
  • Patricia Yurena Rodríguez (Alonso)
    Miss Spain 2013
  • Patricia Peklar
    Miss Earth Slovenia 2014
  • Patricia Medrado
    Brazilian tennis player
  • Patricia Javiera López Menadier
    Chilean actress
  • (Claudia) Patricia Murillo
    Miss El Salvador Universe 2014
  • Edith Vivian Patricia Upton (b. 2015)
    daughter of actress Cate Blanchett
  • Patricia Borsanyi
    Hungarian rhythmic gymnast
  • Patricia "Pat" Summitt
    American basketball coach
  • Patricia Pendergraft
    author

Patricia in Pop Culture

  • Patricia "Pat" O'Sullivan
    a main character in the St Clare series by Enid Blyton; twin of sister Isabel
  • Patricia
    minor character on TV's "The Walking Dead"
  • Patricia Jenner
    character in movie "Jeepers Creepers"
  • Patricia "Patti" Mayonnaise
    character from animated series "Doug"
  • (Scarlett) Patricia Moon Butcher
    character on British soap "EastEnders"
  • Patricia Kent
    character on TV's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"
  • Patricia Ray
    character from What Real Life Is
  • Patricia 'Patty' Halliwell
    character on TV series "Charmed"
  • Patricia Brown
    character in Jenny Nimmo's "The Children of the Red King" series
  • Patricia Williamson
    character on Nickelodeon's "House of Anubis"
  • Patricia Thornton
    character on TV's "MacGyver"