Find out how popular the last name VELÁZQUEZ is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named VELÁZQUEZ.

VELÁZQUEZ, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the VELÁZQUEZ surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of VELÁZQUEZ in America

VELÁZQUEZ is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The VELÁZQUEZ surname appeared 145 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname VELÁZQUEZ.

The history of the last name VELÁZQUEZ

The surname Belazquez has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in regions that are now part of modern-day Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 8th and 15th centuries, when the Iberian Peninsula was under the influence of both Christian and Islamic cultures.

Belazquez is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "velazquez," which itself is a combination of the words "vela" (meaning "candle" or "vigil") and the patronymic suffix "-ez" (indicating "son of"). This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who was the son of a person associated with candles or religious vigils, perhaps a candle-maker or a member of the clergy responsible for maintaining vigils.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Belazquez can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a 14th-century manuscript that catalogued the properties and landholdings of the Spanish nobility. This document mentions individuals with the surname Belazquez, indicating that the name was already in use by that time.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Belazquez surname gained further prominence with the rise of the Spanish artist Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), one of the most celebrated painters of the Spanish Golden Age. His works, including masterpieces such as "Las Meninas" and "The Surrender of Breda," have become iconic representations of Spanish art and culture.

Another notable figure with the surname Belazquez was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo (c. 1499-1543), a Portuguese explorer who sailed for the Spanish Crown and is credited with being the first European to navigate the Pacific Coast of what is now California.

In the realm of literature, the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), best known for his novel "Don Quixote," mentioned characters with the surname Belazquez in some of his works, indicating the name's widespread use during the Spanish Golden Age.

The surname Belazquez also has connections to various places in Spain and Portugal, with some towns and villages bearing names derived from the same root, such as Velázquez in the Spanish province of Jaén and Velázquez in the Portuguese region of Alentejo.

Throughout history, the Belazquez surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, explorers, writers, and nobility, reflecting the diverse cultural and historical influences that have shaped the name's legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name VELÁZQUEZ

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname VELÁZQUEZ.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for VELÁZQUEZ was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name VELÁZQUEZ was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of VELÁZQUEZ, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!