Patty is an English given name that originated as a rhyming diminutive form of names such as Martha via the diminutive Mattie, much in the same way that Peggy was derived as a rhyming variant of Meg or Meggie, an English diminutive of Margaret, and Polly was originally derived as a rhyming variant of Molly, an English diminutive of Mary.

The diminutive was used in Colonial America.

It was later used as an English short form of Patricia or, for boys, as a diminutive form of Patrick.

Patsy is another related variant.

It peaked in 1959, when it was the 146th most used name for American girls born that year.