Patel surname: U.S. census count, rank and records | FamilyCrests

The Patel surname

In the 2000 U.S. Census, 145,066 people carried this name — #172 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,860 people counted.

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In Belgium’s population register

At least 356 people named Patel live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Antwerp 217
East Flanders 94
Brussels-Capital 36
Flemish Brabant 9

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 320 people named Patel.

94 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 20 départements, most often La Réunion.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born

Born outside France 94
La Réunion 60
Jura 60
Drôme 30
Ain 21
Isère 16
Paris 7
Rhône 6
Lot-et-Garonne 6

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

261 people named Patel live in Switzerland.

They live in 17 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Zurich 73
Geneva 33
Bern 32
Vaud 24
Aargau 15
Lucerne 15
Basel-Stadt 12
Schaffhausen 10

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

95 people named Patel have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 1,662 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 14 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Masovian 30
Silesian 12
Subcarpathian 7
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 7
Lublin 7
Greater Poland 6
Lubusz 5
Lower Silesian 5

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In print

Patel in American newspapers,
1910–1950.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-Herald carrying the name Patel
The Birmingham Age-Herald 1910-08-01
Newspaper page from New Britain Herald carrying the name Patel
New Britain Herald 1930-08-02
Newspaper page from The Chronicle-Star carrying the name Patel
The Chronicle-Star 1940-11-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 10,530 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Patel,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
    Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 1875–1950 · politician
  • Baburao Patel
    Baburao Patel 1904–1982 · writer
  • Hirubhai M. Patel
    Hirubhai M. Patel 1904–1993 · politician
  • Pranlal Patel
    Pranlal Patel 1910–2014 · photographer
  • Pannalal Patel
    Pannalal Patel 1912–1989 · author

Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 206 lives in all are documented under this name.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Patel.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Patel is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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