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

Veles, 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 Veles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Veles in America

Veles is the 64559th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Veles surname appeared 308 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 Veles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Veles 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 Veles

The surname Veles is of Slavic origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient Slavic lands that now encompass parts of modern-day Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and neighboring countries. The name is believed to have originated from the Slavic word "veles," which referred to a pagan god of cattle, earth, and the underworld in Slavic mythology.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Veles can be found in the Novgorod Birch Bark manuscripts, a collection of ancient documents written on birch bark dating back to the 11th to 15th centuries. These manuscripts mention individuals with the surname Veles, indicating the name's presence in the region during that period.

The surname Veles is also linked to the town of Veles, located in present-day North Macedonia. This town, formerly known as Velesa or Velessia, was an important settlement during the Byzantine and Ottoman eras. It is likely that some individuals who hailed from this town or surrounding areas took on the surname Veles.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Veles Grigoryevich is recorded as a wealthy landowner and merchant in the city of Novgorod. He was involved in trade with the Hanseatic League and is believed to have played a significant role in the economic life of the region.

During the 16th century, a Russian noble family named Veles is mentioned in historical records. One member of this family, Ivan Veles, served as a military commander and diplomat under Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

In the 19th century, a renowned Russian writer and literary critic, Vasily Veles, was born in 1823. He was known for his influential works on Russian literature and culture, and his critiques of the works of writers such as Pushkin and Lermontov.

Another notable figure with the surname Veles was Mikhail Veles, a Russian painter and illustrator who lived from 1856 to 1917. He is best known for his illustrations of Russian folk tales and his depictions of rural life in Russia.

While the surname Veles is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage and history of the Slavic peoples, serving as a reminder of their ancient pagan beliefs and the importance of cattle, earth, and the underworld in their traditional mythology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Veles

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

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

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

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