Unisex name · since 1897
Pat
Pat has 40,123 recorded births since 1897 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1941 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #688 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 40,123
- born since 1897
- 1940s
- peak decade
40,123 girls have been named Pat since 1897, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pat has been recorded 40,123 times among girls since 1897, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1897 to 1991.
- #688 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 40,123 born since 1897
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pat ranks #688 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 40,123 born since 1897, peaking in the 1940s.
- #688 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 40,123
- born since 1897
- 1940s
- peak decade
Pat's 40,123 recorded births place it above 99.04% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
47 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Pat's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Pat's full recorded timeline at 1944, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1897, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1941 peak of 1,900 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Pat popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–1991
- Peak year (1941)
- 1,900
- Annual births at peak, across 95 years of records
Pat popularity over time - boys
26,732 total births recorded since 1880 (Pat as boys' name)
Pat by decade
1940s is the heaviest window (16,150 births, 40% of the file).
1940s was Pat's strongest decade.
16,150 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Pat births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 12
1890s
12 births
- 1900s 73
1900s
73 births
- 1910s 454
1910s
454 births
- 1920s 2,516
1920s
2,516 births
- 1930s
1930s
12,463 births
- 1940s
1940s
16,150 births
- 1950s 5,256
1950s
5,256 births
- 1960s 2,884
1960s
2,884 births
- 1970s 242
1970s
242 births
- 1980s 67
1980s
67 births
- 1990s 6
1990s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 16,150 births (40% of all-time use).
How Pat compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Pat's total volume
Pat by state
Where Pat concentrates geographically, total births since 1897
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5,016 | 12.5% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 3,199 | 8.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 2,547 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 2,413 | 6.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 2,158 | 5.4% |
| #6 | New York | | 1,670 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Missouri | | 1,635 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Oklahoma | | 1,341 | 3.3% |
5,016 of 40,123 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Pat appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pat? ▼
Where does Pat sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Pat most popular? ▼
Where is Pat most popular? ▼
Is Pat a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Pat been used? ▼
What names are similar to Pat? ▼
What to do with Pat's data
- Pat's decade-level peak was the 1940s (16,150 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Pats (5,016 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Pat
Nearby Names Like Pat
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pat
Compare Pat side by side: Pat vs Patricia Pat vs Patsy Pat vs Patty
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pat: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1941)
Similar record span (~94 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1897–1991 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Pat draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.