2000
#18,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,388
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Patil
A surname of Indian origin, indicating the ancestor's occupation as a village headman or chief.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,278 Americans carry the last name Patil. That puts it at #4,235 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,943 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Patil surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Patil with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.3K
1 in 36,943
Census rank
#4,235
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,091 bearers of the surname Patil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4235th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Patil, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Patil
The surname Patil originated in India, specifically in the Marathi-speaking regions of present-day Maharashtra and Karnataka. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 16th centuries. The name Patil is derived from the word "Patel," which in several Indian languages refers to a village headman or a community leader.
Historically, the Patils held significant social and administrative roles in rural areas, serving as intermediaries between the local population and the ruling authorities. They were responsible for collecting taxes, settling disputes, and overseeing various aspects of village life. The name Patil became a hereditary title, passed down from generation to generation within certain families.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Patil can be found in the Marathi literature and inscriptions from the Yadava dynasty, which ruled parts of present-day Maharashtra between the 12th and 14th centuries. During this period, the Patils were actively involved in the governance and administration of local communities.
In the 16th century, the Maratha Empire under Shivaji Maharaj further solidified the role of Patils as influential figures in rural administration. Some notable Patils from this era include Maloji Patil, a trusted aide of Shivaji Maharaj, and Yesaji Patil, a military commander who played a significant role in the Maratha campaigns.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Patil have made their mark in various fields. One prominent example is Vasantrao Patil (1917-1989), a renowned freedom fighter and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Another noteworthy figure is Balwantrao Patil (1889-1973), a social reformer and educationist who played a crucial role in promoting education in rural areas.
Other notable Patils include Govind Patil (1924-2004), a celebrated Marathi writer and recipient of the Jnanpith Award, and Smita Patil (1955-1986), an acclaimed Bollywood actress known for her powerful performances in films like Bhumika and Arth.
The surname Patil continues to be widely prevalent in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa, as well as among the Marathi-speaking diaspora around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Patil
Among Census respondents with the surname Patil, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Patil bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Patil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.9% · 7,682
- White2.7% · 220
- Two or more races1.4% · 110
- Black or African American0.4% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Patil
Patil appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,790
+1,402 bearers (+101.0%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Up 7,071 places
2020
#4,235
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,091
+5,301 bearers (+190.0%)
Per 100,000 2.71
Rank movement Up 7,083 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,389 | 1,388 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,318 | 2,790 | 0.95 | +1,402 bearers (+101.0%) | Up 7,071 places |
| 2020 | #4,235 | 8,091 | 2.71 | +5,301 bearers (+190.0%) | Up 7,083 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Patil surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,318 | #4,235 | 62.6% |
| Count | 2,790 | 8,091 | 190.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.95 | 2.71 | 184.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Patil bearers went from 2,790 to 8,091 (+190.0% change). The surname moved up 7,083 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,318 to #4,235.
FAQ
Patil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Patil?
Name Census estimates that about 9,278 living Americans carry the surname Patil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,943 residents.
How common is Patil?
Patil ranks #4,235 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,091 people with the surname Patil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,278), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Patil.
Has Patil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Patil went from 2,790 recorded bearers to 8,091. That is an increase of 5,301 (+190.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,318 to #4,235.
What does the Census say about the background of Patil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Patil, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Patil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (7,682 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Patil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.9%), White (2.7%), Two or More Races (1.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Patil (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Patil mean?
A surname of Indian origin, indicating the ancestor's occupation as a village headman or chief. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Patil (2.71 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Patil?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.