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Patronymic surname meaning 'son of Patrick', from the Latin 'Patricius' meaning 'nobleman' or 'patrician' — borne most famously by Saint Patrick, the fifth-century missionary who became patron saint of Ireland. The specifically Scottish spelling 'Paterson' (with a single 't') distinguishes it from 'Patterson' (double 't'), which is more common in Ulster and North America. Patrick was a popular given name in medieval Scotland both through Irish Gaelic influence in the west and through the veneration of the saint, producing the surname across both Highlands and Lowlands.