Patsy

For other uses, see Patsy (disambiguation).
Patsy
Country western singer Patsy Cline (1932-1963).
Pronunciation/ˈpætsi/ PAT-see
GenderUnisex
Origin
Word/nameLatin Patricius
Meaning"Noble" (i.e. a patrician)
Region of originnorth England, Scotland, & Ireland
Other names
Related namesMartha, Matilda, Mattie, Patricia, Patrick, Patti, Patty
Patsy Custis (1756-1773), the daughter of Martha Washington and stepdaughter of George Washington.
Martha Jefferson Randolph (1772-1836), was nicknamed Patsy.
Princess Patricia of Connaught (1886-1974), pictured with wounded Canadian soldiers in 1917. Her nickname was Patsy.

Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, or Patrice). Among Italian Americans, it is often used as a pet name for Pasquale.[1]

In older usage, Patsy was also a nickname for Martha or Matilda, following a common nicknaming pattern of changing an M to a P (such as in Margaret → Meg/Meggy → Peg/Peggy; and Molly → Polly) and adding a feminine suffix.[1][2]

President George Washington called his wife, Martha, "Patsy" in private correspondence. President Thomas Jefferson's eldest daughter Martha was known by the nickname "Patsy", while his daughter Mary was called "Polly".[citation needed]

  1. ^ a b "Names: Patsy". edgarbook. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2007.
  2. ^ "Common Nicknames & Their Given Name Equivalents". About.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2007. Retrieved 16 November 2007.