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 40494th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Velázquez surname appeared 540 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.

We can also compare 2010 data for Velázquez to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Velázquez

The surname VALAZQUEZ is of Spanish origin, originating from the Basque region in northern Spain and southwestern France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Basque words "valle" meaning valley and "ez" meaning not, creating the combined meaning of "not from the valley."

This surname likely emerged during the 12th or 13th century when families began adopting hereditary surnames. It may have been given to individuals who did not reside in a particular valley, distinguishing them from others who did live in that area. Early spellings of the name included Valazquez, Valazkes, and Valasquez.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VALAZQUEZ surname can be found in the Becerro Galego, a 14th-century census and tax record from the Kingdom of Galicia in northwestern Spain. This document mentions a certain Pedro Valazquez de Avila, indicating the name's presence in that region during that time period.

Another notable early reference is found in the Cartulario de Valpuesta, a 12th-century manuscript from the Monastery of Valpuesta in the province of Burgos, which includes the name Juan Valazques.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the VALAZQUEZ surname, including:

1. Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), a renowned Spanish painter who was a leading figure in the Baroque period and served as the court painter for King Philip IV of Spain.

2. Juan Rodríguez Valázquez (16th century), a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico and later became the first European settler on the island of Cozumel.

3. Juan de Velázquez y Cuéllar (1480-1565), a Spanish conquistador who served as the first governor of the Spanish colony of Cuba from 1511 to 1515.

4. Luis Velázquez de Velasco (1530-1594), a Spanish jurist and author who wrote extensively on the indigenous peoples of the Americas and their customs.

5. María de Velasco y Salazar (1508-1598), a Spanish noblewoman and the first Countess of Revilla, who played a significant role in the establishment of Spanish settlements in the New World.

The VALAZQUEZ surname has a rich history deeply rooted in the Basque region of Spain, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the Middle Ages. Its presence in historical records and association with notable figures continue to shape our understanding of its origins and evolution over time.

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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Velázquez has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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.

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