Show ContentsPatey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the name Patey are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name Patty, which was the pet form for the personal name Patrick. Patronymic surnames arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. In the religious naming tradition, which was developed later than the vernacular tradition, surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint.

Early Origins of the Patey family

The surname Patey was first found in Worcestershire, where the family held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Patey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Patey research. Another 180 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1381, 1542, 1554, 1560, 1585, 1591, 1603, 1606, 1618, 1634, 1770, 1795 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Patey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Patey Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Patey family name include Paddy, Pady, Paddie, Padie, Paddey, Padey, Paday, Paddye, Patty, Paty, Pattie, Patie, Pati, Pattey, Patey and many more.

Early Notables of the Patey family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Patey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Patey Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Patey is the 170th most popular surname with an estimated 233 people with that name. [1]


United States Patey migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Patey surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Patey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • M. Patey, who settled in San Francisco in 1850

Australia Patey migration to Australia +

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

Patey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Patey (post 1700) +

  • Douglas Lane Patey (b. 1951), American literary scholar and biographer of Evelyn Waugh
  • Janet Monach Patey (1842-1894), born Janet Monach Whytock, an English contralto from Holborn, London; she toured Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan in 1890
  • The Very Rev Edward Henry Patey (1915-2005), English clergyman, Dean of Liverpool (1964-1982), and author of numerous publications including "Religion in the Club" (1956) and "Don't Just Sit There" (1974)
  • Admiral Sir George Edwin Patey KCMGKCVO (1859-1935), British Royal Navy officer, Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station in 1915
  • Sir William Charters Patey KCMG (b. 1953), British diplomat, former British Ambassador to Afghanistan
  • Larry Patey (b. 1953), Canadian former NHL professional ice hockey center who played twelve seasons in the NHL
  • Charles George Edward Patey (1811-1881), British admiral and colonial administrator, Administrator of The Gambia (1866-1869)
  • Doug Patey (b. 1956), retired Canadian NHL ice hockey player
  • Tom Patey (1932-1970), Scottish mountaineer and writer

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Gerald N Patey, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking [4]
  • Mr. John H Robert G Patey, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking [4]


  1. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  2. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
  4. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook