Velera
A Spanish name inspired by the word "velero," meaning sailboat or ship.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Velera. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Velera today is around 102 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Velera births was 1928 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Velera. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Velera is about 102 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Veleras were born before 1934.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Velera. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1928
10 babies that year
Average age
102
years old
1938 SSA rank
#4,955
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Velera: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Velera from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 40 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Velera remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Velera by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Velera during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Velera
The given name Velera has its roots in the ancient Sanskrit language, originating in the Indian subcontinent around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "velera," which means "one who sails or navigates." This name was likely given to individuals who were skilled sailors, navigators, or explorers in that era.
In the Vedic scriptures, particularly the Rig Veda, there are mentions of a sage named Velera who was revered for his knowledge of navigation and astrology. He is believed to have played a significant role in guiding ancient seafarers through treacherous waters using his understanding of celestial bodies and ocean currents.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Velera can be found in ancient Indian inscriptions and manuscripts dating back to the 3rd century BCE. One notable figure from this time period was Velera, a renowned navigator and cartographer from the Mauryan Empire, who is credited with creating highly accurate maps of the Indian Ocean and surrounding regions.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Velera. In the 9th century CE, Velera was a celebrated astronomer and mathematician from the Abbasid Caliphate. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial navigation, and his works were widely studied across the Islamic world.
Another prominent figure was Velera Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan scholar and explorer who lived from 1304 to 1369 CE. He is famous for his extensive travels across Africa, Asia, and Europe, chronicled in his famous travelogue "Rihla" (The Travels). His accounts provided invaluable insights into the cultures, trade routes, and geographical features of the regions he visited.
During the Age of Exploration, Velera was the name of a Portuguese navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498. His expertise in navigation and cartography played a crucial role in the success of this expedition, which opened new trade routes and facilitated cultural exchanges between Europe and the Indian subcontinent.
In more recent times, Velera Gorchakova (1868-1952) was a Russian noblewoman and philanthropist who dedicated her life to improving the lives of underprivileged children. She established several orphanages and schools, and her efforts were recognized with numerous awards and honors.
People
Velera + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Velera as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Velera: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Velera?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Velera going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Velera a common name?
We classify Velera as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 80 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Velera most popular?
The single biggest year for Velera was 1928, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Velera is about 102 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Velera in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Velera a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Velera in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Velera still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Velera in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Velera can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Velera?
You can see how many people share the name Velera on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.