A little research shows that Patel is a caste title in India meaning “Landlord”. The article also said that 60% of the motels here are owned by Indians, and that 1/3 of them use the name Patel. It is the most commonly used name here after Singh.
I was kidding a fellow I know named Singh, I asked him if he's related to the current premier or prime minister of India.
He told me that in his clan or whatever it is (he is a Sikh), "Singh" simply means "male;" all male children are named "Singh," and all females have some other appelation that I cannot recall.