An East Indian and English surname of Patel came from the word ‘patlikh’ which meant record keeper, one who traced the land and its crops.

Spelling forms for Patel include Patill, Patell, Putel, Patil and Putell.

In Berwickshire, Scotland, in India, Canada, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda the Patel surname is common. Patel is one of the most common surnames throughout India.

In England, most are in the London area, in the Channel Islands and in Lancashire county.

In the United States since the 1960s, many Patel families have moved permanently. The Patel surname is now the most common of Indian family names in the United States. Most are in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota and California.

Famous: Dipak Patel (cricketer from New Zealand), Jabbar Patel (film director), Adam Patel (English businessman of Lancashire), Dinesh Patel (professional baseball player), Nikki Patel (English actress), Alpesh Patel (American film director), Neil Patel (American theater set designer) and Kalpesh Patel (cricketer from Kenya).