2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vellos
A variant Spanish surname derived from the Greek word meaning hair or fur.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Vellos. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vellos 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Vellos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vellos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 38.3%. The next largest groups are White (35.0%) and Black (15.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vellos
The surname VELLOS has its origins in Spain, with records dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "vello," meaning "hair" or "fleece." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or a physical characteristic.
The earliest known record of the name VELLOS appears in a Spanish census document from the city of Seville in 1492. This document lists several families with the surname, indicating that it was already well-established in the region at the time.
In the 16th century, the name VELLOS can be found in various historical records from the Spanish city of Cordoba. One notable example is Juan VELLOS, a merchant who lived from 1520 to 1587. He was known for his successful trade ventures with the Americas.
During the 17th century, the VELLOS surname spread to other parts of Spain, as well as to Spanish colonies in the Americas. One prominent figure from this era was Alonso VELLOS, a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.
In the 18th century, the name VELLOS appeared in several historical documents from the city of Granada, Spain. One such document mentions a Miguel VELLOS, who was a local landowner and respected member of the community.
As the VELLOS name continued to spread, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and the Americas. For instance, in the 19th century, there was a notable figure named Pedro VELLOS, a Chilean politician and diplomat who lived from 1810 to 1891.
Throughout its history, the VELLOS surname has been associated with various occupations and social classes, from merchants and landowners to military figures and politicians. Despite its Spanish origins, it has become a globally recognized name, with bearers found in many countries around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vellos
Among Census respondents with the surname Vellos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 38.3%. The next largest groups are White (35.0%) and Black (15.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Vellos 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 Vellos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino38.3% · 46
- White35.0% · 42
- Black or African American15.0% · 18
- Two or more races6.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.0% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vellos
Vellos 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+18 bearers (+16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,551 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,843 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+16.4%) | Up 7,551 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 9,843 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 Vellos 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 | #132,206 | #142,049 | -7.4% |
| Count | 128 | 120 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vellos bearers went from 128 to 120 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 9,843 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #142,049.
FAQ
Vellos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vellos?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Vellos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Vellos?
Vellos ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Vellos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Vellos.
Has Vellos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vellos went from 128 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Vellos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vellos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 38.3%. The next largest groups are White (35.0%) and Black (15.0%). 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 Vellos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 38.3% (46 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vellos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (38.3%), White (35.0%), Black (15.0%). 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 Vellos (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 Vellos mean?
A variant Spanish surname derived from the Greek word meaning hair or fur. 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 Vellos (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 people have the last name Vellos?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Vellos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.