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Vela Family History

Vela Name Meaning

Spanish: possibly from a pre-Roman personal name Vela (compare Basque bela vela ‘raven’). More likely perhaps it may be a byname from vela meaning either ‘sail’ or ‘watchman’ (compare 4 below). Spanish: habitational name from a place called Vela (in Córdoba province) or La Vela (in Murcia) probably named with vela ‘guard’. Italian and Portuguese: habitational name from any of the places called Vela in Italy and Portugal. Italian and Croatian: nickname or metonymic occupational name for a sailor or for a sailmaker from Italian vela ‘sail’. Czech: from a pet form of either of two Slavic personal names Velislav or Velimir based on the element vel (from Old Slavic velьjь) ‘big great’ also ‘significant’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Vea, Vila, Vala, Seda, Velo, Vena, Vilas, Mula, Vega, Vida

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Vela family from?

You can see how Vela families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Vela family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Vela families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there was 1 Vela family living in Hampshire. This was about 33% of all the recorded Vela's in United Kingdom. Hampshire and 2 other counties had the highest population of Vela families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Vela surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Vela ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Vela. 41% of Vela men worked as a Laborer and 14% of Vela women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Vela were Truck Driver and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Vela | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    41%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Farm Laborer
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    14%
  • Maid
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Housewife
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Vela family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Vela. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Vela census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Vela

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Vela. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Vela immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Vela. For the veterans among your Vela ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Vela military records

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What is the average Vela lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Vela life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Vela in 1950 was 37, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Vela

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