2000
#727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,820
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.87
Uncommon Last name
Velez
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating the bearer's origin from any of numerous places named Vélez, derived from "vela" meaning "watch" or "vigilance."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 61,340 Americans carry the last name Velez. That puts it at #617 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 17.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,588 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Velez 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.
Bearers in the US
61K
1 in 5,588
Census rank
#617
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
17.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
53K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 53,491 bearers of the surname Velez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 17.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 617th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Velez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Velez
The surname Velez originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Andalusia during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "vélez," which means "watchtower" or "fortified place." This name was likely given to families who lived near or were associated with a particular watchtower or fortified settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Velez can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and property after the Reconquista of Seville by the Christian forces. Several individuals with the surname Velez were listed as recipients of land grants in this document.
The name Velez is also connected to several place names in Spain, such as Vélez-Málaga and Vélez-Rubio, both located in Andalusia. These place names likely originated from the Arabic word "balad," meaning "town" or "village," and were later adapted into the Spanish language as "Vélez."
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Velez was Diego Velez de Guevara (c. 1450-1520), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the Spanish conquest of the Canary Islands in the late 15th century.
Another prominent figure was Juan Velez de Guevara (1529-1591), a Spanish military leader and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Nueva Andalucía (present-day Cumana, Venezuela) in the 16th century.
In the realm of literature, Esteban Velez Guevara (1594-1659) was a Spanish dramatist and poet known for his plays and contributions to the Spanish Golden Age of literature.
During the 18th century, José Velez Zaragoza (1718-1786) was a renowned Spanish painter and engraver who specialized in religious themes and portraits.
Moving into the 19th century, José Velez Cosio (1833-1898) was a prominent Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the governor of the state of Nuevo León from 1887 to 1891.
Throughout its history, the surname Velez has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including military leaders, colonial administrators, artists, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Velez
Among Census respondents with the surname Velez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Velez 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 Velez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.8% · 48,544
- White6.7% · 3,603
- Black or African American1.0% · 529
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 518
- Two or more races0.5% · 247
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Velez
Velez 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
#638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 53,265
+10,445 bearers (+24.4%)
Per 100,000 18.06
Rank movement Up 89 places
2020
#617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 53,491
+226 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 17.90
Rank movement Up 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #727 | 42,820 | 15.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #638 | 53,265 | 18.06 | +10,445 bearers (+24.4%) | Up 89 places |
| 2020 | #617 | 53,491 | 17.90 | +226 bearers (+0.4%) | Up 21 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 Velez 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 | #638 | #617 | 3.3% |
| Count | 53,265 | 53,491 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 18.06 | 17.90 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Velez bearers went from 53,265 to 53,491 (+0.4% change). The surname moved up 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #638 to #617.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Velez
FAQ
Velez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Velez?
Name Census estimates that about 61,340 living Americans carry the surname Velez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,588 residents.
How common is Velez?
Velez ranks #617 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 17.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 18 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 53,491 people with the surname Velez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (61,340), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 17.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 17.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 18 of them to have the surname Velez.
Has Velez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Velez went from 53,265 recorded bearers to 53,491. That is an increase of 226 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #638 to #617.
What does the Census say about the background of Velez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Velez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Black (1.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Velez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (48,544 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Velez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.8%), White (6.7%), Black (1.0%). 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 Velez (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 Velez mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating the bearer's origin from any of numerous places named Vélez, derived from "vela" meaning "watch" or "vigilance." 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 Velez (17.90 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 have the surname Velez?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.