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Greetings from the Academy of St. Gabriel!
Here is the information we have found about your proposed name.
You asked whether "Patricia" might have been used in 14th century Europe, and whether it might have been used with the surname "Grey." The answer to your question depends quite strongly on the region of Europe in which you are interested.
For example, "Patricia" appears occasionally in Latin records in England in the Middle Ages. However, Latin was not the language used by most people in England at the time, and Latin records do not denote what the people were actually called by their families and friends. "Patricia" is the feminine form of the Latin masculine "Patricius," i.e., "Patrick." In everyday life, it is likely that these women were called "Patrick." (1) The practice of giving girls masculine names, then recording them as Latinate feminines does date from the 13th through the 15th centuries; however, we suspect that this particular name was infrequently used.
If you are thinking of choosing an Irish persona, particularly from the Medieval period or earlier, you should know that the Irish had an aversion to naming their children directly after important saints and other religious figures. Instead, they used devotional names along the lines of "Gillapatraig" (servant of Patrick) or "Maelpatraig" (devotee of Patrick), both of which are relatively common medieval Irish men's names.
We have found no evidence for a 14th century French version of "Patricia." Although there was a 7th century martyr called Patricia who was venerated in Italy during the 16th century, the practice of naming children for her is largely a recent fashion.(2)
When all the evidence is taken together, we believe it is unlikely that "Patricia" was used as a 14th century given name.
"Gray" is a riverport on the Saone 30 miles southwest of Vesoul, founded in the 7th century (3). It gave rise to the famed "de Gray" Norman-English family. An "Anschitill Grai" (or "de Grai") is recorded in the Domesday Book (1086). Forms of the surname "Gray" or "Grey" exist in France, England (4), Scotland (from 1248)(5), and Ireland (6). In Ireland, it was often used by English and Scottish settlers both before and after 1600. "Gray" is also a descriptive nickname which was recorded as early as 1173 (4).
Notable Greys include Lady Jane Grey, who attempted to usurp the throne of England following the death of Edward VI, son of Henry VIII, in 1553. A relative of hers was later the governor of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth from 1580 through 1583.
The surname "Gray" could most probably have been used in the 14th century in England, or the English speaking parts of Ireland, or the Scots speaking (as opposed to Gaelic) parts of Scotland. Scots, a language closely related to English, was in the 14th century the language of the Lowlands, especially the royal court and burghs (towns).
If you would like to use "Gray" as your surname, we would be happy to assist you in choosing an appropriate 14th century given name.
We hope that this has been helpful. If we can be of further service, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Zenobia Naphtali, Arval d'Espas Nord, Talan Gwynek, Margaret Makafee, Charles Stewart O'Connor, Effric neyn Kenyeoch vc Ralte and Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn contributed to this letter.
In Service,
Giulietta da Venezia
Academy of St. Gabriel