2000
#6,188
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,094
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.89
Rare Last name
Veliz
Derived from the Spanish word "feliz," meaning "happy" or "fortunate," and likely referring to a cheerful person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,456 Americans carry the last name Veliz. That puts it at #4,664 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,534 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Veliz 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
8.5K
1 in 40,534
Census rank
#4,664
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,374 bearers of the surname Veliz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4664th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Veliz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Veliz
The surname Veliz originated in Spain, with its roots dating back to the 8th century during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "walid," meaning "son" or "descendant," which was a common component in Arabic names.
During the Reconquista period, when the Christian kingdoms gradually reclaimed control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors, many Arabic names and words were adapted into the Spanish language and culture. As a result, the name Veliz emerged as a variation of the Arabic "walid" and became a distinct surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Veliz can be found in the 12th-century Cartulario del Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Aguilar de Campoo, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of Santa María la Real in the province of Palencia, Spain. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.
The name Veliz has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Pedro Veliz, a 15th-century Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Another prominent figure was Juan Veliz, a 16th-century Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro.
In the 17th century, Diego Veliz y Huerta (1585-1667) was a Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works. He was active in Seville and contributed to the artistic renaissance of the city during the Golden Age of Spanish art.
Moving into the 18th century, Alonso Veliz de Guevara (1718-1788) was a Spanish military officer who served as the governor of Río de la Plata (present-day Argentina and Uruguay) from 1768 to 1777. He played a significant role in the administrative and military affairs of the region during the Spanish colonial period.
In more recent times, Andrés Veliz (1915-1991) was a Chilean poet and writer who gained recognition for his works exploring the themes of identity, exile, and the human condition. His poetry collections, such as "El Tiempo Cautivo" and "Río de Espejos," earned him critical acclaim and literary awards.
These examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the surname Veliz, which has its roots in the Arabic influence on the Spanish language and culture, and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, artists, military leaders, and literary figures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Veliz
Among Census respondents with the surname Veliz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Veliz 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 Veliz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.1% · 6,941
- White4.6% · 341
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 29
- Two or more races0.4% · 26
- Black or African American0.3% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Veliz
Veliz 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
#5,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,024
+1,930 bearers (+37.9%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Up 1,184 places
2020
#4,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,374
+350 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.47
Rank movement Up 340 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,188 | 5,094 | 1.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,004 | 7,024 | 2.38 | +1,930 bearers (+37.9%) | Up 1,184 places |
| 2020 | #4,664 | 7,374 | 2.47 | +350 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 340 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 Veliz 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 | #5,004 | #4,664 | 6.8% |
| Count | 7,024 | 7,374 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.38 | 2.47 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Veliz bearers went from 7,024 to 7,374 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 340 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,004 to #4,664.
FAQ
Veliz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Veliz?
Name Census estimates that about 8,456 living Americans carry the surname Veliz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,534 residents.
How common is Veliz?
Veliz ranks #4,664 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,374 people with the surname Veliz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,456), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Veliz.
Has Veliz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Veliz went from 7,024 recorded bearers to 7,374. That is an increase of 350 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,004 to #4,664.
What does the Census say about the background of Veliz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Veliz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Veliz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (6,941 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Veliz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.1%), White (4.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Veliz (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 Veliz mean?
Derived from the Spanish word "feliz," meaning "happy" or "fortunate," and likely referring to a cheerful person. 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 Veliz (2.47 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 Veliz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.