Patel
Patel is a surname/title representing a caste of village leaders. In the state of Gujarat, from the middle of the 1500s through the 1900s, the Patel of a village would be a member of the village committee. Patel is now also used as a surname among communities like Patidar, Leuva Patel (or Leva Patel), Kadva Patel, Matiya Patidar or Matiya Patel, Gujjar Patel.
Contents
History of patel
Etymology
The term patel derives from the word Patidar, literally "one who holds pieces of land called patis", implying a higher economic status than that of the landless. Consequently, the name "Patel" originally referred to one who was tasked with taking care of or farming such a piece of land, or who was the headman of the community.
Distribution
The name Patel is found primarily in the Indian state of Gujarat, as well as the states of Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and in some eastern part of Madhya Pradesh; and metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Kanpur, Banda and Delhi.
The surname is also prevalent in some English-speaking countries due to migration from India. Within the United Kingdom, it is the twenty-fourth most common surname nationally, and the third most common in the Greater London region. In the US, the surname "Patel" ranks 174 among the top 500 list of most common last names, as of the 2000 US Census. In the Canadian city of Toronto, "Patel" is the sixth most common surname.
Gujarat
Gujarati Patels were historically agriculturalists. Patels comprise one of the wealthiest communities across the globe due to the abundance of fertile land in Gujarat, and particularly tobacco production. Patels have migrated to various countries and enhanced their wealth. The Patidar community benefited from British Reforms during the 19th century and their wealth increased accordingly. The Patel community varies by religion and ideology, with disparate groups having their own samaj (social gatherings) and mandirs. Most of them follow vegetarianism, due to the influence of Hinduism and Jainism. The modern Patel communities have branched out of agriculture to a variety of business trades, especially in hotels. Patels dominate the pharmaceutical, chemical, medical, plastic, building construction, ceramic and diamond industries in Gujarat.
"Patel hotel" phenomenon
The "Patel hotel" or "Patel motel" phenomenon, as it is popularly known, has made a major impact on the American hospitality industry.
A sizable number of Indian immigrants to the United States came in the 1960s and 1970s. Many of them worked in blue collar jobs and saved up to buy undervalued or dilapidated properties, turning them into businesses. As many as 50% of mid-sized motels and hotel properties all over the US are owned by people of Indian origin. Of this nearly one-third have the surname Patel—a popular one among Indian Gujaratis (those that came from Gujarat).
In popular culture
The Gujarati film Kevi Rite Jaish satirizes the community's fascination with emigrating to the United States.
In the documentary film Meet the Patels, actor Ravi Patel discusses the surname as his family in India and the US seek to find him a wife from within the Patel clan.