2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Velev
A Bulgarian surname possibly derived from the word "Veli" meaning "great".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Velev. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Velev 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Velev in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Velev, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Velev
The surname VELEV originated in Bulgaria, tracing its roots back to the late 18th century. It is believed to have derived from the old Bulgarian word "velev," which translates to "large" or "great." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who were physically imposing or held positions of significance within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VELEV surname can be found in a Bulgarian census record from 1792, where a family bearing the name was listed as residing in the town of Veliko Tarnovo. This historic town, once the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, is known for its rich cultural heritage and may have played a role in the surname's origins.
In the 19th century, the VELEV name appeared in several historical documents, including church records and land deeds. One notable example is the mention of a certain Ivan VELEV, born in 1825, who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region of Plovdiv.
As the Bulgarian diaspora spread across Europe and beyond, the VELEV surname traveled with them. One notable figure was Petar VELEV, a Bulgarian revolutionary born in 1859, who played a significant role in the struggle for national liberation from Ottoman rule.
Another historical figure bearing the VELEV surname was Mariya VELEVA, born in 1891, who was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Bulgaria. Her efforts helped pave the way for greater educational opportunities for girls and women in the early 20th century.
In the realm of literature, the name VELEV found prominence through the works of the Bulgarian writer and poet Yordan VELEV, born in 1912. His writings, which explored themes of national identity and the struggles of the working class, left an indelible mark on Bulgarian literature.
While the VELEV surname has its roots firmly planted in Bulgarian soil, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins remain deeply intertwined with the rich history and cultural tapestry of Bulgaria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Velev
Among Census respondents with the surname Velev, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Velev 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 Velev surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.9% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino21.6% · 24
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Velev
Velev appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,412 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 Velev 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 | #147,253 | #148,665 | -1.0% |
| Count | 112 | 111 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Velev bearers went from 112 to 111 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #148,665.
FAQ
Velev surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Velev?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Velev. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Velev?
Velev ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Velev. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Velev.
Has Velev become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Velev went from 112 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Velev?
Among Census respondents with the surname Velev, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Velev in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.9% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Velev appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.9%), Hispanic (21.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Velev (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 Velev mean?
A Bulgarian surname possibly derived from the word "Veli" meaning "great". 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 Velev (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Velev?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.