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

Velazque, 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 Velazque surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Velazque in America

Velazque is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Velazque surname appeared 106 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 Velazque.

The history of the last name Velazque

The surname Velazque is of Spanish origin, traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to derive from the Spanish word "Velazquez," which means "son of Velasco." The name Velasco is itself derived from the Basque words "vela" meaning "watchman" and "asco" meaning "summit" or "hill."

The name Velazque was initially concentrated in the regions of Castile and Andalusia, particularly in the provinces of Toledo and Seville. It is thought to have emerged as a patronymic surname, indicating lineage or descent from an ancestor named Velasco.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Velazque can be found in the archives of the Cathedral of Toledo, dated 1492, where a certain Pedro Velazque is mentioned as a witness to a legal transaction.

The name gained prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing the surname Velazque. Diego Velazquez de Cuéllar (1465-1524) was a Spanish conquistador who conquered and governed Cuba. His nephew, Juan Velazquez de León (1510-1545), was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés.

The most famous bearer of the surname Velazque is undoubtedly Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), the renowned Spanish painter who served as the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. His masterpieces, such as "Las Meninas" and "The Surrender of Breda," are considered among the finest works of the Spanish Golden Age.

Another notable figure was Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (1744-1811), a Spanish writer, philosopher, and statesman who adopted the surname Velazque as part of his noble title, becoming known as Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos y Velazque.

In the literary world, the surname Velazque is also associated with the Mexican writer and diplomat Carlos Velazque (1888-1954), who is best known for his novel "El Cristo de Chilapa."

While the surname Velazque is predominantly Spanish in origin, it has also been adopted by individuals in other Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America, reflecting the cultural and historical ties between Spain and its former colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Velazque

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

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

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

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