[Wheelman81]

I worked for a Pakistani many years ago, and was told that Patel was as common there as Smith was here.

[ifinnegan]

“I worked for a Pakistani many years ago, and was told that Patel was as common there as Smith was here.”

Yes, very common, but usually is a Hindu name.

[Fiji Hill]

I worked for a Pakistani many years ago, and was told that Patel was as common there as Smith was here.

In Gujarat and other areas of north-central India, it can be even more common. I once taught at a high school in a community with a large Gujarati population, and there were classes in which more than half the students had the last name Patel.