Surname Patten - Meaning and Origin
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W. Patten
read morePatten: What does the surname Patten mean?
The surname Patten is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Middle English term "paten", meaning a type of clog or wooden shoe that was elevated from the ground, often worn in marshy or wet terrain. This occupational name was likely given to individuals who made or sold this type of shoe.
Patten could also be a locational surname from places in England such as Patten in Lancashire or Patton in Shropshire. This could mean that the bearers of this surname originally hailed from these regions.
In the medieval period, surnames often served as a method of identifying individuals, dividing them based on their occupation, the place they lived, or their father’s identity. Therefore, Patten could symbolise how people were named based on their trade or their place of origin during the Middle Ages.
It's also interesting to note that the surname has various spellings including Patten, Pattin, Patton and Paten. Variations often result from a multitude of linguistic, regional, and historical factors.
Order DNA origin analysisPatten: Where does the name Patten come from?
The last name Patten is a very common surname today, primarily in the United States and Great Britain. In the United States, it is ranked as the 2,269th most frequent surname, and in England it is ranked as the 4,772nd most common surname. In the United States it is most concentrated in the states of Massachusetts (3rd most common) and Rhode Island (5th most common). It has also been found in large numbers in Texas, California, and New York, as well as in smaller numbers in other states.
In addition to the US, the name Patten is also common in Great Britain, where it is the 5th most common surname in the borough of Sunderland and the 8th most common surname across the whole county of Durham. It is also reasonably frequent in the counties of Lancashire, Hampshire, and Warwickshire.
The surname Patten is also found in small numbers in many other countries around the world, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Scotland, to name just a few. It also appears in some countries in continental Europe and in South America. It is likely that a large number of individuals with the last name Patten are descendants of immigrants who left the British Isles during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Variations of the surname Patten
The surname Patten is an English and Irish name of toponymic origin derived from the Old French word ‘pate’, meaning ‘footstep’. As such, the surname most likely referred to someone who lived on a patch of land, or perhaps someone who followed in the footsteps of another family member or inhabitant of the same area.
Variants of the surname Patten include Paten, Paton, Pattin, Patton, Patton, and Paddoen. Spellings include Paddon and Paddin, as well as Pattin, Patten, Paton, and Patten.
Variations on the surname’s spelling stemming from different countries and dialects include Padden in Scotland, Paddey in Cornwall, and Pattinson in Northumbria.
The surname is ubiquitous in English speaking countries, particularly in North America, where it ranks as the 1,856th most common surname. There are numerous variants of the surname’s spelling found around the British Isles, with Patten being the most common in England, and Potten being the most common in Scotland.
Surnames stemming from the same origin as Patten include Paten, Padon, Padden, Payn, Paddey, Padon, Padin, Paddin, Paddon, Pattin, Pattison, Patten, Patton, Pattoo, Paton, and Pattison. Many of these surnames refer to people who used to live in a certain patch of land, or who have the same ancestors in common.
Famous people with the name Patten
- Emma Patten: Australian actress
- Joe Patten: American professional golfer
- Bessie Elliott Patten: American second-wave feminist
- Chris Patten: British politician
- Darren Patten: English actor
- Fred Patten: American animation historian
- Jack Patten: Australian Indigenous rights leader
- Kirk Patten: American politician
- Michael Patten: Canadian actor and musician
- Richard Patten: Canadian politician
- Rob Patten: American singer/songwriter
- Samuel Patten: American lobbyist