Padraig: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Padraig is an Irish boy's name meaning “nobly born.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Pádraig
- Meaning
- Nobly born
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Patrick
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 185 for boys (2025)
How do you pronounce Padraig?
Padraig is pronounced PAW-drig. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first. It can also be said PAW-rik. Other spellings: Padraic.
What does Padraig mean?
From the Latin patricius “nobly born”. The patron saint of Ireland, it is hard to differentiate between fact and myth. What is probably true is that he was born in Britain around 373 AD and was brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of seven, possibly by Niall of the Nine Hostages (read the legend). Forced to guard sheep on the Slemish Mountains in Country Antrim for six years he had a vision urging him to convert his captors. He escaped to France where he trained as a priest before returning to Ireland where he banished the snakes (i.e. paganism) and converted the population to Christianity. Both Patrick and Padraig are very popular names in Ireland.
How popular is Padraig in Ireland?
In 2025, 26 baby boys in Ireland were named Pádraig, which made it No. 185 that year. Another 5 were registered as Padraig. That's down from No. 149 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1992, when 159 baby boys were named Padraig, No. 50 that year. The most babies got the name in 1981: 193. The records go back to 1964, when 38 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31 | No. 185 (Pádraig) |
| 2024 | 26 | No. 214 (Pádraig) |
| 2023 | 30 | No. 215 (Pádraig) |
| 2022 | 51 | No. 151 (Pádraig) |
| 2021 | 39 | No. 164 (Pádraig) |
| 2020 | 31 | No. 211 (Pádraig) |
| 2019 | 34 | No. 208 (Pádraig) |
| 2018 | 41 | No. 180 (Pádraig) |
| 2017 | 40 | No. 149 (Padraig) |
| 2016 | 52 | No. 128 (Padraig) |
| 2015 | 42 | No. 149 (Padraig) |
| 2014 | 55 | No. 125 (Padraig) |
| 2013 | 54 | No. 123 (Padraig) |
| 2012 | 59 | No. 122 (Padraig) |
| 2011 | 72 | No. 106 (Padraig) |
| 2010 | 70 | No. 104 (Padraig) |
| 2009 | 75 | No. 104 (Padraig) |
| 2008 | 65 | No. 117 (Padraig) |
| 2007 | 81 | No. 86 (Padraig) |
| 2006 | 83 | No. 80 (Padraig) |
| 2005 | 75 | No. 84 (Padraig) |
| 2004 | 72 | No. 84 (Padraig) |
| 2003 | 68 | No. 89 (Padraig) |
| 2002 | 65 | No. 84 (Padraig) |
| 2001 | 73 | No. 79 (Padraig) |
| 2000 | 70 | No. 78 (Padraig) |
| 1999 | 98 | No. 61 (Padraig) |
| 1998 | 77 | No. 68 (Padraig) |
| 1997 | 99 | No. 74 (Padraig) |
| 1996 | 87 | No. 77 (Padraig) |
| 1995 | 117 | No. 65 (Padraig) |
| 1994 | 108 | No. 63 (Padraig) |
| 1993 | 120 | No. 62 (Padraig) |
| 1992 | 159 | No. 50 (Padraig) |
| 1991 | 136 | No. 58 (Padraig) |
| 1990 | 118 | No. 64 (Padraig) |
| 1989 | 134 | No. 55 (Padraig) |
| 1988 | 128 | No. 58 (Padraig) |
| 1987 | 156 | No. 50 (Padraig) |
| 1986 | 157 | No. 51 (Padraig) |
| 1985 | 135 | No. 55 (Padraig) |
| 1984 | 153 | No. 53 (Padraig) |
| 1983 | 179 | No. 52 (Padraig) |
| 1982 | 137 | No. 65 (Padraig) |
| 1981 | 193 | No. 52 (Padraig) |
| 1980 | 157 | No. 64 (Padraig) |
| 1979 | 150 | No. 64 (Padraig) |
| 1978 | 142 | No. 63 (Padraig) |
| 1977 | 123 | No. 69 (Padraig) |
| 1976 | 106 | No. 71 (Padraig) |
| 1975 | 114 | No. 72 (Padraig) |
| 1974 | 116 | No. 66 (Padraig) |
| 1973 | 90 | No. 86 (Padraig) |
| 1972 | 85 | No. 84 (Padraig) |
| 1971 | 81 | No. 88 (Padraig) |
| 1970 | 103 | No. 66 (Padraig) |
| 1969 | 61 | No. 90 (Padraig) |
| 1968 | 66 | No. 78 (Padraig) |
| 1967 | 66 | No. 78 (Padraig) |
| 1966 | 72 | No. 73 (Padraig) |
| 1965 | 52 | No. 82 (Padraig) |
| 1964 | 38 | No. 88 (Padraig) |
Padraig in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Padraig, letter by letter.
- PPeith
- AAilm, pine
- DDair, oak
- RRuis, elder
- AAilm, pine
- IIodhadh, yew
- GGort, ivy
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Padraig
Questions about Padraig
- How do you pronounce Padraig?
- Padraig is pronounced PAW-drig. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- What does Padraig mean?
- Padraig means “nobly born.”
- Is Padraig a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Padraig is a boy's name.
- How do you spell Padraig in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Pádraig. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Padraig in English?
- The English form of Padraig is Patrick.
- How popular is Padraig in Ireland?
- In 2025, Pádraig was No. 185 for boys in Ireland, with 26 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1992, at No. 50.