Patrick

Patrick comes from the Latin patricius, "nobleman," and belongs most famously to the fifth-century missionary who drove the snakes, real or figurative, out of Ireland and became the island's patron saint. For generations it was the quintessential Irish American name, a top-100 fixture through most of the twentieth century. It has drifted down to the low 200s now, which only makes it feel a little rarer, a little more considered. Two syllables with a sturdy consonant spine. Patrick still wears a green tie one day a year and a suit the other 364. A name that ages beautifully.