Total births
1,573,623
Girls' name · since 1884
Patricia
Patricia has 1,573,623 recorded births since 1884 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1951 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1293
- among girls today
- 1,573,623
- born since 1884
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
1,573,623 babies have been named Patricia since 1884, making it today's #1293 girls' name.
Patricia has 1,573,623 recorded births among girls since 1884, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1293 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of girls, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2025.
- #1293 among girls today
- 1,573,623 born since 1884
- 1950s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Patricia is currently the #1293 girls' name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 1,573,623 born since 1884, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1293
- among girls today
- 1,573,623
- born since 1884
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Patricia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1293
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Patricia was born in this single decade.
1951
Single peak year
56,446 babies were named Patricia in 1951 - its busiest year on record.
How Patricia compares
1,573,623 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Patricia's all-time total is 4,119x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Patricia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,573,623 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 56,446 | 48 | 19,840 |
Patricia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Patricia's SSA record in two at 1955 and the more recent half accounts for 38% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 62%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1885, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1951 peak of 56,446, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Patricia at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1951
Current rank
#1,293
Active since
1884
Patricia popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1951)
- 56,446
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Patricia popularity over time - boys
4,961 total births recorded since 1917 (Patricia as boys' name)
Patricia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Patricia's strongest decade.
459,681 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Patricia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 58
1880s
58 births
- 1890s 330
1890s
330 births
- 1900s 1,336
1900s
1,336 births
- 1910s 9,707
1910s
9,707 births
- 1920s 74,732
1920s
74,732 births
- 1930s
1930s
220,582 births
- 1940s
1940s
411,412 births
- 1950s
1950s
459,681 births
- 1960s
1960s
231,178 births
- 1970s 81,111
1970s
81,111 births
- 1980s 45,127
1980s
45,127 births
- 1990s 24,118
1990s
24,118 births
- 2000s 9,320
2000s
9,320 births
- 2010s 3,731
2010s
3,731 births
- 2020s 1,200
2020s
1,200 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 459,681 births (29% of all-time use).
How Patricia 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 Patricia's total volume
Patricia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Patricia by state
Where Patricia concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 163,594 | 10.4% |
| #2 | California | | 116,996 | 7.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 113,649 | 7.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 96,928 | 6.2% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 86,294 | 5.5% |
| #6 | Texas | | 74,997 | 4.8% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 73,946 | 4.7% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 60,220 | 3.8% |
New York share of Patricia's total US births 10.4%
Even split
163,594 of 1,573,623 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Patricia appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Patricia? ▼
Patricia has been given to 1,573,623 babies in the U.S. since 1884, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1293 as of the latest data. 56,446 babies were born in 1951, its single highest year.
When was Patricia most popular? ▼
Patricia was most popular in the 1950s decade with 459,681 total births. The single peak year was 1951.
Where is Patricia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Patricia are New York (163,594 births), California (116,996 births), Pennsylvania (113,649 births).
How long has the name Patricia been used? ▼
Patricia has been recorded in Social Security data since 1884, spanning 142 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Patricia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Patsy, Patty, Patti, Pat, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Patricia's data
- Patricia's decade-level peak was the 1950s (459,681 total births); usage has since declined to 1,200 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Patricias (163,594 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Patricia
Nearby Names Like Patricia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Patricia
Patsy Girl
#6644 119,448 births
Patty Girl
#12170 62,452 births
Patti Girl
44,711 births
Pat Girl
40,123 births
Patrice Girl
#9606 34,083 births
Compare Patricia side by side: Patricia vs Patsy Patricia vs Patty Patricia vs Patti
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Patricia
Lucie #1292
7,749 births · Peak 2025
Aira #1294
1,318 births · Peak 2025
Itzayana #1291
4,464 births · Peak 2016
Eliette #1295
1,213 births · Peak 2025
Xena #1290
3,513 births · Peak 1996
Cara #1296
53,305 births · Peak 1985
Madisyn #1289
17,374 births · Peak 2010
Robyn #1297
63,364 births · Peak 1964
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Patricia: #1293 Girls' Name - 1,573,623 Births, Peak 1951." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/patricia. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Patricia 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 June 2026.