Origin of the Patterson Surname
Exerpt from Surnames of Scotland by George Black Paterson, Patterson
Scottish forms of "Patrick's son" or "Patrickson, and one of the commonest of Scottish surnames. The native home of the Clan Pheadirean(Paterson's) was on the north side of Lochfyne where they were formerly numerous (Carmicheal, Carmina Gadelica, II, pg.332). See under Macpatrick. Patterdale in Westmoreland was formerly Patrickdale, "the dale or valley of Patrick." William Patrison and John Patonson, 'gentillmen,' witnesses in Aberdeen, 1446(REA., I, pg. 245). Donald Patyrson was admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1494(NSCM., 1, p. 37). Ade Patersoun is mentioned in 1499 (RAA., II, 398), and in 1524 letters were issued against Patrick Patersoune for defrauding the king's custom(Irvan, I, pg. 35). Robert Patersoun was capitane of ane wereschip of Dundee." 1544(CRA., pg. 205). And John Patersoune held land in Glasgow, 1533 (Protocols, I). Fyndlay Patersoun had a tack of the lands of Owar Elrik from the Abbey of Cupar, 1557 (Cupar-Angus, II pg. 170-171). And in the same year John Patersoun custumar of Cupar, and David Petirsoun rendered to Exchequer the accounts of that burgh (ER., XIX, pg. 80). John Patersoune was burgess of Northberwyk, 1562 (CMN., 85). George Patersoun, a monk in the monastery of Culross, 1569 (Laing, 844), and Alexander Patersone, burgess of Aberdeen, 1594 (CRA., pg. 104). William Paterson (1658-1719) was author of the ill-fated DArien Scheme and originator of the plan of the bank of England. Patirsone, 1497. Ade Patrisoun had a precept of remission in 1536 ( RSS., II, 2033). James Patirsone, sheriff-depute of Innernes, 1530, may be James Patirsoun, provost there, 1573 (OPS., II, p. 666-669). One of the Farguharson genealogies says that "the Patersons in the North" are descended from Patrick, grandson of Ferquhard from whom the clan Farquharson take their name (Farguharsons of Invercauld, pg. 4) Patrick Surname Patrick, G. Patruig, Ir. Padraig, O. Ir. Patricc, from Latin Patricius, 'a patrician.' The early Latin life of the saint also gives Cothraige, the name by which S. Patrick was known during the term of his slavery in Ireland, but this is simply a Gaelicized form of Pathruig (with c for Latino-British p). S. Patrick's full name was probably Patricius magonus Sucatus. Tirechan, the saint's earliest biographer, assigns him a fourth name, Cothirthiacus, which, however, is simply a Latinization of the Cothraige already mentioned. Other early forms of this name, Qatrige and Quadriga, suggested to Tirechan and others a derivation from quattuor, Latin for 'four:' "Cothirthiacus quia seruiuit uii[iu] domibus magorum "(i.e. "because he was a slave in the house of the four magicians"); "many were they whom he served, Cothraige (servant) of a fourfold household" (so the O. Ir. hymn Genair Patricc). The Tripartite Life(pg. 17) states that he received the name Magonus from S. Germanus, and that of Patricius from Pope Celestine, but this is merely monkish tradition. The late Sir John Rhys believed the name Magonus to be a derivation from Goidelic magus (whence Irish mug, servant), meaning perhaps originally a 'boy,' but is as likely to be the Roman cognomen Magonus. Muirchu, author of the first formal biography of the saint, says he was also named Sochet (the Sucatus above mentioned): "Patricius qui et Sochet uocabator." The hymn "Genair Patraicc," attributed to S. Fiacc, says: "Sucat his name it was said," and the Tripartite Life adds this was "his name from his parents" (loc. cit.). A note on the hymn, quoted in the last named work explains this name as "Deus belli uel Fortis belli." The name is etymologically the same as obsolete Welsh hygad, 'warlike.' In modern Scottish Gaelic the name Patrick is found in four forms: (1)Patruig, with t and c unaspirated, but reduced to the corresponding mediae. (2)Paruig for Pathruig, in which the t has been aspirated and consequently lost and c made into medial g. (3)Para, a pet or curtailed form of the last. (4)Padair or Patair, the common form of Patrick in Arran and Kintyre. This last form enters into combination with cill, a church, in Cill-Phadair, the Gaelic name of Kilpatrick. The name has thus become confused in popular use with Peter and is so Englished. (Per contra, Ceann+phadruig is the Gaelic of Peterhead in Duncan Macintyre's Oran na gasaid (Songs, ed. Calder, pg. 392)> "Pedair as a personal Gaelic name is hardly, if at all known out of print" (Celt. Rev., II, pg. 35).In Scotland not only is Patrick frequently called by the endearing diminutive Peter, but Peter is often called Patrick. In fact, it has been said, Patrick is the "Sunday name," Peter the everyday one. In the discussion in the House of Lords on the breadalbane peerage claims(1867) the counsel alluding to a person who had been mentioned in the course of evidence called him Captain Patrick Campbell. The Chancellor said the captain's name was not Patrick but Peter. His Lordship was assured they were convertible terms. Lord Robertson(1794-1855), who was christened Patrick, was invariably called Peter(nicknamed "Peter o' the Painch" by Sir Walter Scott because of his rotundity: Maidment Pasquils, pg. 222-223); and Patrick Fraser Tytler, the historian, was known to his immediate relatives as "Peter" (Burgon, Life, pg.16). Patrick was one of the most popular names in the west of Scotland in pre-Reformation times, and in Ireland only became a popular forename after 1600, due probably to its introduction by the Scots settlers in Ulster. As a surname it is common in Ayrshire, and the old family of that name appear to have been connected with Kilwinning Abbey. Patrick, subprior of Durham, became the abbot if Dunfermline, 1201(Annals, pg. 333). Patricks of Dunminning, county Antrim, are of Scottish extraction, descendants of the Ayrshire family. John Patric was a notary in 1429(Robertson, Ayr Fam., II, pg. 267). James Patrick, heir of Hew Patrick of Thornedyke his father, 1658(Retours, Ayr, 501). Robert William Cochran-Patrick(1842-1897), a distinguished numismatist, was under-secretary for Scotland. Comes (earl) Patric was a charter witness, c. 1211(Kelso, 403). With gille- it gives the common Gaelic personal name Gillepatrick, hence Macphatrick, and Paterson. The following taken from "Family Names and Their Stories" by S. Baring-Gould., M.A. Sire Names Patrick; Whence comes Patrickson, Padson, Pattison, Gilpatrick, Patterson, Patton, Patey, Petherick, Pethick(2 last names from Petroc).
