2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Velonis
A surname of Greek origin, possibly derived from the Greek word "velos" meaning "arrow" or "arrowhead."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Velonis. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Velonis 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Velonis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Velonis, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Velonis
The surname VELONIS is of Greek origin, originating from the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "velonion," which means "needle" or "pin," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade related to sewing or tailoring.
Records indicate that the name VELONIS can be traced back to the late 16th century in the town of Ioannina, which was a major cultural and economic center during the Ottoman Empire's rule over Greece. It is possible that the name may have originated even earlier, as written records from that period were often incomplete or lost.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the VELONIS name is found in a manuscript from the Ioannina region, dated around 1620, which lists a certain Georgios VELONIS as a local landowner. This document provides valuable insight into the presence of the name in the area during that time.
In the 18th century, the VELONIS name began to appear more frequently in church records and historical documents from the Epirus region. Notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Konstantinos VELONIS (1760-1832), a prominent merchant and philanthropist from Ioannina, who contributed significantly to the city's cultural and educational development.
2. Athanasios VELONIS (1790-1867), a scholar and educator who played a crucial role in the Greek War of Independence, serving as a member of the provisional government in 1822.
3. Eleni VELONIS (1820-1892), a renowned artist and poet from the village of Delvinaki, whose works were celebrated for their depictions of traditional Greek life and culture.
4. Pavlos VELONIS (1850-1918), a respected lawyer and judge who served as a member of the Greek parliament in the late 19th century.
5. Dimitrios VELONIS (1880-1956), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Athens and other Greek cities, showcasing a blend of neoclassical and modern architectural styles.
Throughout its history, the VELONIS name has been associated with various professions and occupations, including tailors, merchants, scholars, artists, and professionals. While the name's origins may have been rooted in the needle trade, it has since become a prominent surname representing Greek culture and heritage across generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Velonis
Among Census respondents with the surname Velonis, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Velonis 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 Velonis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino12.4% · 15
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Velonis
Velonis 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,285 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,285 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 1,152 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 Velonis 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 | #140,157 | #141,309 | -0.8% |
| Count | 119 | 121 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Velonis bearers went from 119 to 121 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 1,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #141,309.
FAQ
Velonis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Velonis?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Velonis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Velonis?
Velonis ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Velonis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Velonis.
Has Velonis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Velonis went from 119 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Velonis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Velonis, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Velonis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Velonis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Hispanic (12.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Velonis (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 Velonis mean?
A surname of Greek origin, possibly derived from the Greek word "velos" meaning "arrow" or "arrowhead." 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 Velonis (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 surname Velonis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.