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Patel Family History

Patel Surname Meaning

Indian (Gujarat Maharashtra Karnataka): status name meaning ‘village headman’ pəṭel in Gujarati and Marathi paṭēla in Kannada.

It comes ultimately from Sanskrit paṭṭakila ‘tenant of royal land’.

It is the most common surname among Indians immigrants to the US.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Patel family from?

You can see how Patel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Patel family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Patel families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 8 Patel families living in Quebec. This was about 89% of all the recorded Patel's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Patel families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Patel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Patel ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Journalier was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Patel. 100% of Patel men worked as a Journalier.

View Census Data for Patel | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Journalier
    100%

What Patel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Patel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Patel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Patel

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Patel. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Patel immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 430 military records available for the last name Patel. For the veterans among your Patel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Patel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Patel family history

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What is the average Patel lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Patel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1969, and highest in 1964. The average life expectancy for Patel in 1959 was 59, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Patel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Patel ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Patel family tree

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