Will my child share the name Paddy with classmates?

Unlikely. With around 49 UK babies named Paddy per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Paddy in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.

Is Paddy becoming more or less popular in the UK?

Paddy is rising: up 205 places since 2020, to #716 in 2025. Its best recorded position was #680 in 2003.

Is Paddy a good choice for a distinctive name?

Paddy is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.

Who are some famous people named Paddy?

Notable people named Paddy include: Paddy Lacey — Patrick Sean Lacey is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder.; Paddy Jones — Sarah Patricia Jones is a British salsa dancer, best known for winning the Spanish talent show Tú sí que vales alongside her dancing partner Nico in 2009.

Is Paddy a popular baby name in the United States?

Paddy does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice.

👦 Boy's name 💎 Relatively Unique UK #716

Paddy

🗳️ Add Paddy to a family shortlist

Paddy is a distinctive choice, ranked #716 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Paddy in their class.

💎

UK Rank 2025

#716

About the Name Paddy

Paddy is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 136 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #680 in 2003 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.

Paddy is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Paddy in their class.

⭐ Famous People Named Paddy

Paddy Lacey — Patrick Sean Lacey is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder.
Paddy Jones — Sarah Patricia Jones is a British salsa dancer, best known for winning the Spanish talent show Tú sí que vales alongside her dancing partner Nico in 2009.
Paddy Fitzgerald — Patrick Charles Mitchell Fitzgerald was a brewer from Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.

Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the name Paddy

UK babies named Paddy (2025)

< 1

Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)

~0.0

In a school of 600

↑ 205 places

Rank change (last 5 years)

🏫 Who else is in the room?

In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Paddy

Almost certainly the only Paddy in the class

UK Popularity (1996–2025)

Rank and birth count · ONS official data

No US data available for this name

✨ Similar names to Paddy

Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story

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Famous People Named Paddy

Notable people who share this name, from history to the present day. See full list on Wikipedia

Paddy Laceyb. 1993

Patrick Sean Lacey is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder.

Paddy Jones1934

Sarah Patricia Jones is a British salsa dancer, best known for winning the Spanish talent show Tú sí que vales alongside her dancing partner Nico in 2009.

Paddy Fitzgerald

Patrick Charles Mitchell Fitzgerald was a brewer from Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.