Etymology

Kilpatrick is an example of a habitational surname. George Black notes in The Surnames of Scotland that: Two parishes are found in Dumbarton. Old Kilpatrick and New Kilpatrick. The landscape features of Kilpatrick Hills and Kilpatrick Braes are found in Old Kilpatrick as well as a Hamlet, Old Kilpatrick. The Irish form of the surname is MacGiolla Phadraig, son, servant or devotees of St. Patrick. The“kil” prefix is derived from Gaelic places names “cill Padraig”, church of St Patrick. The Gaelic forms of the surname were expressed as (Mac) Gilpatrick, (Mac) Kilpatrick, or McKilpatrick. Another form Fitzpatrick, is likely a Norman adaptation. Black also notes the parish of Closeburn as a possible point of origin. However the Kilpatrick surname is not found in the region, rather this area spawned the surname Kirkpatrick, which has a similar onomastic origin. The place name elements “kil” and “Kirk” pepper the landscape of England and Scotland. Kirk is Norse, used extensively in the north of England and in southern Scotland while place names with the “kil” element are more common in Scotland. There are 4 parishes with compounds of Kirkpatrick, numerous parishes with compounds of “Kirk”, several place names in Kirkpatrick, and the surname Kirkpatrick is strongly localized in the region. There appears to be a consensus that the Kilpatricks in Ulster have Scottish origins. In Scotland, as noted previously, there are numerous places paying homage to Saint Patrick, notably in Dumbartonshire and Dumfriesshire. However in Ulster the use of Kilpatrick as a place name is restricted to one townland on Rathlin Island, County Antrim. The Irish form of the surname is MacGiolla Phadraig, meaning "son," "servant," or "devotee" of St. Patrick. The "kil" prefix is derived from Gaelic place names, "cill Padraig," meaning "church of St. Patrick." The Gaelic forms of the surname were expressed as (Mac) Gilpatrick, (Mac) Kilpatrick, or McKilpatrick. Another form, Fitzpatrick, is likely a Norman adaptation.