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

Velásquez, 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 Velásquez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Velásquez in America

Velásquez is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Velásquez surname appeared 112 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 Velásquez.

The history of the last name Velásquez

The surname Velasquez originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish words 'vela' meaning 'sail' and 'ez' meaning 'son of', indicating that the original bearer may have been the son of a sailor or someone associated with sailing.

The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura in southern Spain. Early variations of the spelling included Velazquez, Velascos, and Belasquez. The surname can be traced back to the 12th century, with records of individuals bearing this name appearing in various historical documents from that time.

One of the earliest known references to the Velasquez surname can be found in the 'Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla', a medieval cartulary from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain. This document, dating back to the 12th century, mentions several individuals with the surname Velasquez.

The Velasquez name is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), considered one of the greatest painters of the Spanish Golden Age, was born in Seville and is renowned for his masterpieces such as 'Las Meninas' and 'The Surrender of Breda'.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Juan Velasquez de Cuéllar (c. 1290-1348), a Spanish nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign by Christian kingdoms to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule.

In the 16th century, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar (c. 1465-1524) was a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. He served as the first governor of Cuba and is credited with founding several important cities in the region.

The Velasquez surname can also be found in other parts of the Spanish-speaking world, particularly in Latin America, where it was carried by Spanish settlers and colonists during the colonial era. Notable bearers of this surname include the Mexican artist Diego Rivera (1886-1957), whose full name was Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, and the Venezuelan writer Andrés Velásquez (1777-1853), known for his works on Venezuelan history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Velásquez

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

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 Velásquez 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 Velásquez was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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