The last name Patel carries Indian roots and remains most common among Indians. The word comes from Gujarati, an Indo-European language spoken in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The Hindu name originally translated to "headman" or "village chief" and was first given to those in positions of leadership.

The term patel derives from the word Patidar, literally "one who holds (owned) pieces of land called patis ", implying a higher economic status than that of the landless, ultimately from Sanskrit paṭṭakīla, with the ending -dar (from Sanskrit "धार" - supporting, containing, holding) denoting ownership.