Surname Specialty : Patel is said to one of the most common surnames in India. Besides Patel surname is very common around the world in several countries mainly England, Canada and the United States.
Branches : Patels are divided into many branches. The two largest branches of the Gujarati Patels (also called Patidar) are Leuva and Kadwa.
Other Surnames / Gotras : At several places, especially the Portuguese regions of India surname Patel has been modified to Patil.
Religion : Hindu (a small fraction are Jain).
Varna : Vaishya.
Language : Hindi, Gujarati.
Regional Spread : Northern India, particularly Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and other north Indian regions. Patels are also found in Maharashtra.
Traditional Occupation : Commercial agriculture or business; Patels are known to own large masses of land.
Marriage Preference : Strictly intra-caste marriages
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Freedom fighter known as the "Iron man" of India), Parthiv Patel (cricketer), Brijesh Patel (cricketer), Amisha Patel (actress), Devang Patel (singer)
History and Origin : The name Patel is derived from the term 'Patlikh', which means record keeper of crops for each 'pat', or portion of royal land. The Patels are of Indo-Aryan descent. Ethnicity of Patels is complex, as the community does not have one ethnicity for their ancestors are not the same. Patels range from fully Persian (Parsi), to (and most commonly) Indo-Iranian (and Gujjars) Kshatriyas.
It may be noted that Patels with Punjabi ancestry are mostly Kurmi, but some are known to be Jats, as well as Rajputs.