Vela
A surname that can trace to a medieval personal name in Iberia, and in some cases to the Spanish word for a sail or candle.
The #1,396 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,149 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In Spanish, vela means “sail” or “candle,” from Latin vela, the plural of velum, “sail, covering.” As a surname, however, the evidence in the historical excerpts points especially to an old personal name or byname used in medieval Iberia, with families being identified as “de Vela” and linked to noble lines. Because the same form can also arise from the common noun, the surname may have more than one origin in different families.
History
The excerpts show Vela appearing in medieval Castilian and Aragonese contexts as a personal name, including noble and place-linked lineages such as the lords of Ayala. In Spanish-speaking regions, the surname later spread widely and is still fairly common in the Americas. Some unrelated bearers may also descend from a simple nickname or occupational-style surname based on the everyday word vela.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In medieval records, Vela could function almost like a given name, so a surname form may preserve a very old personal naming tradition rather than just a noun meaning “sail” or “candle.”
From the historical record
“varla. Avelar. Poner a la vela el navio. Avellaneda. El sitio poblado de avellanas. Arrugarse, ponerse enjuta alguna persona o cosa como las ave- llanas.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos