2000
#1,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,569
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.62
Uncommon Last name
Vela
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the word "vela," meaning "sail" or "watchfulness."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 27,783 Americans carry the last name Vela. That puts it at #1,431 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,337 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vela 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
28K
1 in 12,337
Census rank
#1,431
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,228 bearers of the surname Vela in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1431st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vela, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vela
The surname Vela originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "vela," which means "sail" or "canvas." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked with sails or canvas, such as a sailor or a sailmaker.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Vela date back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Veneto. These areas were known for their maritime trade and activities, which could explain the connection to the nautical term "vela."
In the 14th century, the name Vela appeared in several historical documents, such as tax records and property deeds. One notable example is the mention of a Venetian merchant named Giovanni Vela in a trade agreement with the Republic of Genoa in 1327.
During the Renaissance period, the Vela family gained prominence in the city of Naples. Francesco Vela (1490-1560) was a renowned painter and architect who contributed to the design of several churches and palaces in Naples and its surrounding areas.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Vela family settled in Spain, where the name was adapted to "Vela." One of the earliest recorded individuals with this spelling was Juan Vela (1620-1692), a Spanish military officer who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands.
Another notable figure with the surname Vela was Vincenzo Vela (1820-1891), a Swiss sculptor from the canton of Ticino. He is best known for his marble sculpture "The Dying Napoleon," which was completed in 1865 and is now housed in the Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Milan.
In the 19th century, the Vela family established itself in the United States, with many immigrants arriving from Italy and Spain. One prominent American with this surname was Rubén Vela (1885-1961), a Mexican-American civil rights activist and labor leader who fought for the rights of farm workers in Texas.
Throughout history, the surname Vela has been associated with various occupations, including sailors, merchants, artists, military personnel, and civil rights leaders. Its origins in the Italian word for "sail" have given it a distinct maritime connection, reflecting the importance of seafaring and trade in the regions where the name first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vela
Among Census respondents with the surname Vela, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Vela 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 Vela surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.5% · 21,920
- White7.8% · 1,898
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 166
- Two or more races0.4% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 72
- Black or African American0.3% · 67
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vela
Vela 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
#1,396
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,414
+4,845 bearers (+23.6%)
Per 100,000 8.62
Rank movement Up 207 places
2020
#1,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,228
-1,186 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 8.11
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,603 | 20,569 | 7.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,396 | 25,414 | 8.62 | +4,845 bearers (+23.6%) | Up 207 places |
| 2020 | #1,431 | 24,228 | 8.11 | -1,186 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 35 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 Vela 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 | #1,396 | #1,431 | -2.5% |
| Count | 25,414 | 24,228 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 8.62 | 8.11 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vela bearers went from 25,414 to 24,228 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,396 to #1,431.
FAQ
Vela surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vela?
Name Census estimates that about 27,783 living Americans carry the surname Vela. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,337 residents.
How common is Vela?
Vela ranks #1,431 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,228 people with the surname Vela. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (27,783), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Vela.
Has Vela become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vela went from 25,414 recorded bearers to 24,228. That is a decrease of 1,186 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,396 to #1,431.
What does the Census say about the background of Vela?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vela, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Vela in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (21,920 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vela appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.5%), White (7.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Vela (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 Vela mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from the word "vela," meaning "sail" or "watchfulness." 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 Vela (8.11 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 Vela?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.