Veleta
A Spanish feminine name meaning "weather vane" or "fickle".
Name Census estimates that about 88 living Americans carry the first name Veleta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Veleta today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Veleta births was 1957 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Veleta. 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 Veleta is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Veletas were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Veleta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
88
~ 1 in 3,894,936 Americans
Peak year
1957
13 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1976 SSA rank
#10,849
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Veleta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Veleta from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 79 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Veleta 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 Veleta 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 Veleta
The given name Veleta has its origins in the Spanish language. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "veleta," which means "weathervane" or "wind vane." This word, in turn, comes from the Latin word "vela," meaning "sail" or "canvas."
The name Veleta was likely first used in Spain during the Middle Ages or the Renaissance period, when weathervanes became common fixtures on buildings and towers. It may have initially been a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who lived near a prominent weathervane or who had a profession related to wind or weather.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Veleta dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various historical documents and records from Spain. However, there are no known references to the name in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or other significant historical records from earlier periods.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the first name Veleta. One such person was Veleta González de Castilla (1498-1568), a Spanish noblewoman and courtier during the reign of King Charles I of Spain (later known as Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire). Another was Veleta Romero (1605-1677), a Spanish painter known for her still-life paintings of flowers and fruits.
In the 19th century, Veleta Martínez (1825-1896) was a prominent Spanish educator and advocate for women's rights, particularly in the field of education. She founded several schools for girls and worked to improve educational opportunities for women in her country.
Moving into the 20th century, Veleta Díaz (1912-2002) was a Mexican actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. She was known for her versatility and her ability to portray a wide range of characters.
Another notable figure with the name Veleta was Veleta Villar (1923-2008), a Spanish artist and sculptor known for her abstract and modernist works. Her sculptures and installations were exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Europe and Latin America.
While the name Veleta is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the cultural heritage of Spain and other Spanish-speaking regions, serving as a reminder of the historical significance of weather and wind in the daily lives of past generations.
People
Veleta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Veleta 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
Veleta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Veleta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 88 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Veleta 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 3,894,936 US residents.
Is Veleta a common name?
We classify Veleta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 248 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Veleta most popular?
The single biggest year for Veleta was 1957, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Veleta is about 73 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Veleta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Veleta 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.
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.