The REAL (Biblical) Meaning of Patrick? - Origin, History & Stories

Patrick is a masculine name with Irish and Latin origin. It stems from the Latin name Patricius which means nobleman or patrician.

The Irish roots of this name stems from Mulpatrick and Fitzpatrick.

Patrick became a very popular name during the Middle Ages when it was used in honor of St. Patrick the patron saint of Ireland.

It is among popular boy names in the English-speaking world in countries such as the United States where it ranked as one of the top fifty names between 1948 and 1997.

In case you are searching for the perfect first name for your little one or just want to learn more about this beautiful name then keep reading.

This article will take a deep dive into the biblical significance of the name Patrick by exploring the Hebrew, biblical, and spiritual meanings.

The origins of Patrick in the Bible as well as Bible stories and verses that contain the name will be looked at.

What does Patrick mean in Hebrew?

Though Patrick is a Latin name and is not necessarily of Hebrew origin the name does have Hebrew variants that may be used to find the meaning of the name Patrick in Hebrew.

There are six name variations for Patrick in Hebrew.

Avinadav, Navad, and Yisrael are the masculine Hebrew names while Nediva, Sara, and Yisreala are the feminine forms of the name.

Avinadav (Abinadab) means my father is noble, Nadav may be defined as generous and noble, and Yisrael (Israel) stands for contender with God, God contended, and wrestled with God.

The name Nediva may be defined as noble, kind hearted, and generous while princess and noblewoman are the meanings for Sara.

Yisraela is the feminine form of Yisrael and has the same name definition.

The origins of Patrick in the Bible

You may not see the name Patrick in scripture and this may cause you to think that the name doesn't have a biblical origin.

Thanks to the Hebrew variants of the name, we are able to travel back in time beyond its Irish and Latin roots and explore the biblical origin of the name Patrick.

Israel

Israel (formerly Jacob) is the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, the husband of Rachel and Leah, son of Isaac, and grandson of Abraham.

The origins of this biblical name may be traced back to the Garden of Eden where the first couple was created.

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:28 NIV)

Sarah

Sara is a variant of Sarah and Sarai the Old Testament character that had her name changed by God.

Thanks to her being the mother of the promised child, she may somewhat be considered the mother of nobility.

God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” (Genesis 17:15-16 NIV)

Abinadab

There are twelve references in the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) with the name Avinadav. In other translations the name is spelt Abinadab and the first time the name is mentioned in scripture is in 1 Samuel 7:1.

So the men of Kiryat-Ye‘arim came and brought back the ark of Adonai. They took it to the home of Avinadav on the hill and appointed his son El‘azar to guard the ark of Adonai. (CJB)

 So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. (NIV)

The biblical meaning of Patrick

The biblical meanings of Patrick come directly from the Hebrew variants of the name and a study of the life of these characters from biblical references.

Qualities such as generosity, kindness, and a noble character point to Patrick name meanings.

Generosity

Before his name changed to Israel, Jacob made a vow that he would give back a portion of his blessings to the Lord.

This was a generous act that acknowledged the graciousness and generosity of the Lord towards him.

“and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” (Genesis 28:22 NIV)

It's a great gesture to acknowledge God's blessings and generosity throughout your pregnancy and the delivery of your baby.

Patrick is a beautiful Christian boy name that will help you say thank God for my baby boy.

Another reason why Patrick is an excellent choice as a given name is that it will instill in him the value of generosity and bring prosperity to his life.

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25 NIV)

Kindness

Nediva, one of the Hebrew variants of Patrick, means kind hearted.

This quality is of great importance to each follower of Christ and this is one reason to use Patrick as a first or middle name for your child.

Kindness is a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and a trait that will make you an excellent parent.

Each time you call your little boy's name you will be speaking this fruit of the spirit into his life.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” (Galatians 5:22 NIV)

Noble

From a biblical perspective being noble is not just about your station in life or being born into a powerful and wealthy family.

It has to do with how you think and feel about yourself.

Patrick is a good Christian name to give your child. This along with his spiritual upbringing is of great importance and will help him to be noble.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

The spiritual meaning of Patrick

The name Patrick has profound meanings and very strong spiritual significance.

Conversion, warrior, and determination are some of the spiritual meanings of this name.

Conversion

The name Patrick has a rich history and is linked to conversion from both a biblical and historical point of view.

The story of Israel, (a Hebrew variant of the name) shows how the supplanter Jacob converted to the man who wrestled with God for a blessing.

The story of St. Patrick speaks about his conversion to Christianity and how he converted the Irish people.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV)

Naming your child Patrick is a great way to foster his spiritual growth and encourage him to focus on his relationship with the Lord.

Warrior

Jacob displayed his warrior spirit when he wrestled all night with God.

A specific analysis of the name Patrick is that he is not afraid of a struggle because he will fight for what he believes in.

This powerful name will remind you and other family members never to give up on anything or anyone.

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12 NIV)

Determination

After realizing that his father-in-law gave him the wrong woman as wife Israel decided he was going to work the extra years in order to marry Rachel.

“…Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14 NIV)

Like his biblical counterpart, Patrick is a compassionate person who is driven by his determination.

What Bible verses contain Patrick?

Both the Old and New Testament of the Bible have texts that directly mention Hebrew variants of the name Patrick or mention words such as noble.

“Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” (Genesis 17:19 NIV)

 

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.” (Genesis 32:24 NIV)

 

“When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.” (Genesis 32:25 NIV)

 

“Aharon married Elisheva daughter of ‘Amminadav and sister of Nachshon, and she bore him Nadav, Avihu, El‘azar and Itamar.” (Exodus 6:23 CJB)

 

“To Aharon were born Nadav, Avihu, El‘azar and Itamar;” (Numbers 26:60 CJB)

 

“Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” (1 Samuel 16:8 NIV)

 

“Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah.” (1 Samuel 17:13 NIV)

 

“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:15 NIV)

Stories about Patrick in the Bible

The biblical accounts of Sarah, Israel, Abinadab, and Navad are Hebrew variants of Patrick that demonstrate stories about nobility and other Christian traits.

Let's take a look at a story about a noble man from the book of Luke.

The man of noble origin

This is a story told by Jesus Christ about a noble man who gave his servants money before going away to another country to be crowned as King.

He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.” (Luke 19:12 NIV)

Final thought

The English name Patrick has Latin and Irish roots and had the status of most popular names in the United States in the mid to late 1900s.

Generosity, kindness and noble are biblical meanings of the name Patrick while from a spiritual perspective the name represents conversion, determination, and being a warrior.