From Roman nobility to British royalty;
stately Patricia will no doubt be on the revival wave in 20 years,
but until then she makes a strikingly retro and trendsetting choice.
Origin: |
Essentially, Patricia came into use as a femininisation of Patrick, the Anglicised form of the Roman name Patricius. The Latin word patricia, however, was actually the feminine form of the word patricius before either were used as given names. These days, the word patrician has come to mean "noble", "an aristocrat" or "a person of refined upbringing, manners, and tastes", but for the Romans patricius (or feminine patricia) denoted a member of the original aristocratic and ruling families of Rome that once made up the Roman Senate (the patres conscripti "conscript fathers"). Pater "father" was one of the original terms given to Senators. |
Usage: |
E.G. Withycombe stated that "Patricia occurs from time to time in medieval Latin records, but then merely denotes a woman bearing the name Patrick." She does not, however, cite any examples of these medieval Patricias, so the claim remains unsubstantiated. She also states that its use as a proper name began in 18th century Scotland, but a few baptisms and marriage records can be found of Patricia in use from the 16th century in Britain. Patricia Sander married Thomas Whitington in West Tarring, Sussex in 1583, for example, and Patricia Spechley was baptised in Fiskerton, Lincoln in 1590. Prior to this, though it wasn't used a given name, we do know that Patricia could be given as a epithet. Pope John X bestowed the title "Senatrix and Patricia of Rome" (senatrix being the feminine of senator) upon Marozia (c. 890-982), the infamous Italian woman who played a key role in papal politics in the 10th century. Patricia continued to be used over the 17th and 18th century in Britain though remained quite rare, being more common in Scotland than England or Wales. There are far more records of the name being used in Spain and Spanish speaking countries from the 16th century onwards, especially in Murcia. The 1841 UK census lists 35 Patricias (86% in Scotland, 14% in England). By 1861 there were 221 (24% in Scotland, 76% in England), 151 (45% in Scotland, 55% in England) in 1881 and 473 (38% in Scotland, 60% in England and 2% in Wales) in 1901, almost 60% of whom were under the age of 10. In 1886, Patricia was given a regal boost when it was bestowed upon the daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, a son of Queen Victoria. Her full name was Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth, but she was always known officially as Princess Patrica of Connaught. Patricia honoured St Patrick, the saint on whose feast day she was born, but also (by coincidence or design) Patrick was both one of her father's and older brother's middle names. To the Queen (who had wanted the baby to be called Victoria, after herself) she was always called "Victoria Patricia" but to the rest of the family she was known as Patsy. Then, as today, the public were fascinated with the royal family, and the speculation on who would be the young and beautiful Princess Patricia's husband sent the Edwardian press into a flurry of debate. All this media attention perhaps explains why Patricia saw a meteoric rise in the early 20th century. In 1910, 247 girls were given the name in England and Wales, compared to 51 in 1900, and just 4 in 1890, 5 in 1880 and 1 in 1870. Interestingly, there were often far more Patricias registered in April-June than any other quarter, indicating that honouring St Patrick's Day was perhaps an influential factor. Patricia entered the Top 100 in England and Wales in 1914 at #99. It shot up the charts to #31 in 1924, #5 in 1934, #2 in 1944, #6 in 1954, then fell to #36 in 1964, #89 in 1974 and #443 in 1996. In Scotland, Patricia ranked #8 in 1950 and #71 in 1975. During this period, Patsy and Patty (originally developed as diminutives for Patience and Martha respectively) were common short forms adopted for Patricia. By the 1970s, Trisha/Tricia had became a more fashionable short-form. During the 21st century, Patricia has ranked #748 (31 births) in 2000, #772 (36 births) in 2004, #722 (49 births) in 2008 and #749 (50 births) in 2011 in England and Wales. |
Famous Bearers: |
History: * Princess Patricia of Connaught (1886—1974), daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, and granddaugher of Queen Victoria. Contemporary: * Patricia Neal (1926—2010), Hollywood actress. Literature and Other Media: * Patricia (1950), a song written by Benny Davis, recorded by Perry Como. Other: * patricia, a genus of clearwing butterfly. |
Variants: |
Patrice (English), Patrizia (Italian), Patricie (Czech), Patrycja (Polish), Pádraigín (Irish) |
Pronunciation: |
pə-TRISH-ə [key] |
Possible |
Paddy, Patch, Patsy, Patty, Pia, Tia, Tish. Tisha, Trish, Trisha |
Sibling Names: |
Josephine Kathleen Hazel Rosemary Claudia Virginia |
Name Lists: |
Resurrected Retro Resonant Roman Names from Enid Blyton Names of Roses Butterfly Names |
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Thanks to Katie for requesting Patricia.