2000
#8,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,757
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Veloz
A Spanish surname derived from the word "veloz," meaning "swift" or "fast," likely referring to a quick person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,135 Americans carry the last name Veloz. That puts it at #6,140 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,869 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Veloz 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
6.1K
1 in 55,869
Census rank
#6,140
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,350 bearers of the surname Veloz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6140th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Veloz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Veloz
The surname Veloz is of Spanish origin and is believed to have originated in the 16th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "veloz," which means "fast" or "swift." The name likely referred to someone who was known for their speed or agility, or perhaps someone who worked as a messenger or courier.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Veloz comes from the Spanish town of Velez-Malaga in the province of Malaga, Andalusia. In the 16th century, there are records of a family named Veloz living in this area. It is possible that the name was initially a descriptive surname given to someone from this region.
In the 17th century, there are references to a man named Juan Veloz, who was a Spanish soldier and explorer. He was born in 1620 and participated in the exploration and colonization of the Americas. Juan Veloz is believed to have been one of the first Spaniards to set foot in what is now the state of Texas.
Another notable individual with the surname Veloz was Pedro Veloz, a Spanish artist and painter who lived in the 18th century. He was born in 1730 in Seville and is known for his religious paintings and portraits. Some of his works can still be found in churches and museums in Spain.
In the 19th century, there was a famous Mexican general named Ignacio Veloz, who was born in 1812 and played a significant role in the Mexican-American War. He fought against the American forces and is remembered for his bravery and military strategy.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Veloz was the Mexican actress and dancer Lupe Veloz, who was born in 1898. She was a renowned performer in the vaudeville and Broadway circuits and is considered a pioneer of Latin American dance in the United States.
While the surname Veloz may have originated in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly Latin America, where it is still commonly found today. The name carries with it a sense of speed, agility, and swiftness, reflecting the qualities that may have been associated with its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Veloz
Among Census respondents with the surname Veloz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Veloz 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 Veloz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.5% · 5,003
- White5.2% · 278
- Black or African American0.6% · 32
- Two or more races0.3% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Veloz
Veloz 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
#6,546
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,173
+1,416 bearers (+37.7%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Up 1,582 places
2020
#6,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,350
+177 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Up 406 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,128 | 3,757 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,546 | 5,173 | 1.75 | +1,416 bearers (+37.7%) | Up 1,582 places |
| 2020 | #6,140 | 5,350 | 1.79 | +177 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 406 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 Veloz 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 | #6,546 | #6,140 | 6.2% |
| Count | 5,173 | 5,350 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.75 | 1.79 | 2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Veloz bearers went from 5,173 to 5,350 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 406 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,546 to #6,140.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Veloz
FAQ
Veloz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Veloz?
Name Census estimates that about 6,135 living Americans carry the surname Veloz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,869 residents.
How common is Veloz?
Veloz ranks #6,140 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.79 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 5,350 people with the surname Veloz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.79 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 Veloz.
Has Veloz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Veloz went from 5,173 recorded bearers to 5,350. That is an increase of 177 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,546 to #6,140.
What does the Census say about the background of Veloz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Veloz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Black (0.6%). 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 Veloz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (5,003 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Veloz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.5%), White (5.2%), Black (0.6%). 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 Veloz (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 Veloz mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "veloz," meaning "swift" or "fast," likely referring to a quick 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 Veloz (1.79 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 Veloz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.