Contents [hide]

Paterson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Paterson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Ireland
Scotland
England

Paterson comes from the ancient Dalriadan clans of Scotland's west coast and Hebrides islands. The name comes from the personal name Patrick.

Early Origins of the Paterson family

The surname Paterson was first found in Ross-shire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rois) a former county, now part of the Council Areas of Highland and Western Isles in Northern Scotland, which emerged from the Gaelic lordship of the Earl of Ross. The ancestral home of the Clan Pheadirean (Patersons) was on the north side of Lochfyne. Moving from the Gaelic into English spellings resulted in the typical wide range of surname spellings. By example, William Patrison and John Patonson, a 'gentillmen,' were witnesses in Aberdeen in 1446, Donald Patyrson was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1494, Robert Patersoun was 'capitane of ane were schip of Dundee' in 1544, Fyndlay Patersoun had a tack of the lands of Owar Elrik from the Abbey of Cupar in 1557, and so on. 1

Early History of the Paterson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Paterson research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1604, 1632, 1658, 1679, 1691, 1700, 1706, 1708, 1719, 1727 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Paterson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paterson Spelling Variations

The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years Paterson has appeared as Patterson, Paterson, Pattersen, Patteson, Pattison and many more.

Early Notables of the Paterson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

John Paterson (1604-1679), Bishop of Ross; John Paterson (1632-1708), the last Archbishop of Glasgow, Bishop of Galloway, Bishop of Edinburgh; and William Pattison (1706-1727), an English poet
Sir William Paterson (1658-1719), a Scottish trader and banker, one of the founders of the Bank of England. One story claims "he came from Scotland in his younger years, with a pack on his back, and h...
By 1691 he had acquired great influence in the city of London and a considerable fortune. Paterson was 'chief projector' of the foundation of the Bank of England

Paterson World Ranking

In the United States, the name Paterson is the 3,597^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Paterson is ranked the 560^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,750 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Paterson is the 242^nd popular surname with an estimated 14,179 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks Paterson as 81^st with 4,494 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Paterson as 218^th with 26,396 people. 6

Migration of the Paterson family to Ireland

Some of the Paterson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paterson migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Paterson or a variant listed above:

Paterson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Eleanor Paterson, who arrived in Maryland in 1651 7
Elizabeth Paterson, who landed in Maryland in 1667 7
Janet Paterson, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 7
Thomas Paterson, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 7
Andrew and David Paterson who were banished to Georgia in 1685
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Paterson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Paterson who settled in New Hampshire in 1718
Christian Paterson, who arrived in New York in 1738 7
Anne Paterson, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 7
Agnes Paterson, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 7
Samuel Paterson, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Paterson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Paterson, who landed in Georgia in 1850 7
Adam Paterson, who arrived in New York, NY in 1859 7

Paterson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William Bothwell Paterson, who landed in Alabama in 1918 7

Paterson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Paterson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

George Paterson, aged 36, Scottish carpenter who arrived in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1815-1816 with his wife and 4 children
David Paterson, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Favourite" in 1815
Archibald Paterson, who arrived in Quebec in 1821
Barnabas Paterson, who landed in Canada in 1832
Agnes Paterson who settled in Wellington county, Ontario in 1851

Paterson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Paterson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Paterson, Scottish servant who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 14 years for breaking and entering, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Thomas Paterson, English convict from Gloucester, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. Frederick Paterson, Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for life, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Miss Margaret Paterson, (McFarlane), Scottish convict who was convicted in Stirling, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl of Liverpool" in December 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Miss Agnes Paterson, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Buffalo" on 4th May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Paterson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Paterson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

W. Paterson, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clydeside" in 1841
Andrew Paterson, aged 29, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
Margaret Paterson, aged 27, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
Henrietta Paterson, aged 1, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
Mr. James Paterson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Canning" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1857 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Paterson (post 1700) +

Basil Alexander Paterson (1926-2014), American labor lawyer and political leader in New York and Harlem, father of David Paterson, 55th Governor of New York
William Paterson (1745-1806), Irish-born, American statesman, a signer of the U.S. Constitution, and Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, 2nd governor of New Jersey (1790 to 1793)
David Paterson (b. 1954), American politician, 55th Governor of New York (2008-2010), 74th Lieutenant Governor of New York (2007-2008)
Tim Paterson (b. 1956), American computer programmer, author of MS-DOS
John Paterson (1744-1808), American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Tioga County, 1792-93; Broome County Judge, 1798, 1806; U.S. Representative from New York 16th District, 1803-05 14
Harry B. Paterson, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, 1930-34 14
Doug Paterson, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Nebraska 2nd District, 2002 14
David Alexander Paterson (b. 1954), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Senate 30th District; Elected 2002, 2004; Lieutenant Governor of New York, 2007-08; Governor of New York, 2008-10 14
David Paterson, American politician, Member of South Dakota State Senate 21st District, 1913-16 14
Chet Paterson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Ohio 22nd District, 1950 14
... (Another 36 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Paterson family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Miss Linda Jan Paterson (1957-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 15
Mrs. Ethel Mary Paterson (1925-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 15

Empress of Ireland

Mr. John Paterson, British Butcher from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 16
Mr. Alex Paterson (1875-1914), Scottish Third Class Passenger from Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16

HMS Royal Oak

Andrew Paterson, British Stoker 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 17
Walter Duncan Paterson (d. 1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 17

The Paterson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Pro Rege et grege
Motto Translation: For King and people.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1820 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1820
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-of-liverpool
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html