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Patel

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Patel (Gujarati: પટેલ, paṭel, pronounced [pəʈel]) is a surname of Indian origin, originally meaning "headman" or "village chief".[1] The name Patel derives from Patlikh, the record keeper named by princely rulers in Gujarat to keep track of the crops, pat being a parcel of land. Patels in northern Gujarat were very prominent farmers as well. The name is found primarily in the Indian states of Gujarat[2], Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, and also metropolitan cities like Bombay, Ahmedabad, Surat, and Delhi.

Within the United Kingdom, it is the twenty-fourth most common surname nationally,[3] and the third most common in the Greater London region.[4] In the US, the surname "Patel" ranks 174 among the top 500 list of most common last names.[5] Though the name is common Hindu name,[6] a small number of Parsis and Muslims also carry the surname "Patel" (see also Muslim Patel) along with a sizable number of Kolis.[7]

There are two main groups of Patels in Gujarat that make up the Patidar community: 1. Leva Patel/Patidar and 2. Kadva Patel/Patidar. The Kadva Patidar sub-caste is found mostly in districts of the Saurashtra region like Rajkot, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Mahesana. The Leva Patidar sub-caste is primarily concentrated in the Charotar Region (which are also known as Charotar Leuva Patidars), Kheda, Anand, Kanam, Baroda, Dahod, Bharuch, Panchmahal, Surat and Valsad. The Leva Patels are said to be the descendents of Lav, son of Lord Rama and the Kadva Patels who are said to be descendents of Kush.

The Leva Patels and Kadva Patels are known for their entrepreneurial skills in business and agriculture having a strong hold in Gujarat and have made a name for themselves around the world. There are religious and ideological differences between various groups of Patels. They have their own social samaj (gatherings) and mandirs at various locations. The Patel community followed an age-old tradition of marrying within their ‘GOL' or circle, but with changes in economic status, global influence, literacy and education, changes are now taking place and Patels are increasingly marrying outside the Gols.

Other Gujaratis who migrated out of what is now the state of Gujarat during the British Raj to British East Africa (Kenya and Uganda) sometimes adopted the surname 'Patel', and this surname was then subsequently passed onto their descendants (who now mainly reside outside Kenya and Uganda). Also, during the British Raj, some 'Patels' who migrated to British East Africa and the Union of South Africa (South Africa) adopted different surnames, usually the name of their village, their trade or even their grandfather's name. Subsequently, these surnames have been passed down to their descendants.

"Patel Motel" phenomenon

The "Patel motel" phenomenon, as it is popularly known, has made a major impact on the American hospitality industry.

The surname is the second most common last name in India, following Singh.

"The trend started in the early 1940's, though the real growth took place in the 1960's and 1970's."

A sizable number of Indian immigrants to the United States came in the 1960s and 1970s, when the motel industry was booming. Many of them bought up undervalued and dilapidated properties and turned them into businesses. [8] As many as 60% of mid-sized motels and hotel properties, all over the US, are owned by the people of Indian origin. Of this nearly one-third have the surname Patel - a popular one among Indian Guajaratis.(and came from Gujarat[9][10])

"According to the Asian American Hotel Association (A.A.H.O.A), 50 percent of hotels and motels in the United States are owned by people of Indian Origin" The majority holding the last name Patel. A large immigrant population of Gujurati's came in the 1960's and 1970's. These Patels known as the founding fathers, worked hard and saved then invested in a lot of properties. Having a steady amount income and savings, they called over their distant relatives and friends from the villages of India. Upon their arrival, they would already have financial assistance from the founding fathers and start up their own businesses. Even though Patel's are evenly spread throughout the country they still have held onto their vast network, which has definitely been a key to their entrepreneurship.

Notable Patels

References

  1. ^ http://genealogy.about.com/od/surname_meaning/p/patel.htm
  2. ^ Washburn, Edward (10000 bc). India Old and New: With a Memorial Address. p. 178. ISBN 0543994147. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ The BBC Four programme Meet the Patels asserted that there are around 410,000 to 670,000 Patels in the UK.
  4. ^ Most common surnames in Greater London, UK
  5. ^ US Census 2000: Most Common Surnames
  6. ^ Sheikh, Aziz (2008). Caring for Muslim patients. Radcliffe Publishing. p. 74. ISBN 9781857758122. Retrieved 13 August 2010. {{cite book}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  7. ^ Bhakta, Govind (2002). The Patels: A Gujarati Community History in the US. ISBN 0934052395.
  8. ^ Skop, Emily (2007). "Asian Indians and the Construction of Community and Identity". In Ines M. Miyares, Christopher A. Airriess (ed.). Contemporary ethnic geographies in America. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 277. ISBN 9780742537729. Retrieved 13 August 2010. {{cite book}}: More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)
  9. ^ Kamdar, Mira (2007). Planet India: how the fastest-growing democracy is transforming America and the world. Simon and Schuster. p. 29. ISBN 9780743296854.
  10. ^ Ungar, Sanford J. (1998). Fresh blood: the new American immigrants. U of Illinois P. p. 32. ISBN 9780252067020.

sawan patel :Engineer

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