The Velasquez name — origin, spelling, and the people who carried it.
Velázquez — or Velásquez, or Velasquez — is a Spanish patronymic meaning “son of Velasco”, carried by more than 145,000 people in the United States alone and by a painter, a conquistador, a congresswoman, a UFC champion and the composer of Bésame mucho. This section of velasquez.info collects what is publicly known about the name and about 47 of the people who made it famous.
About the name
Origin and meaning — son of Velasco.
A patronymic from northern Spain, more than a thousand years old, that has never belonged to a single family.
Read →Velázquez, Velásquez or Velasquez — one name, three spellings.
The letter in the middle tells you where a family comes from; the accent tells you whether it was written by a Spanish or an English hand.
Read →Where the name is found — from Cuéllar to Manila.
A Castilian name that is now far more common in the Americas than in Spain.
Read →The name in official documents — keeping it whole across borders.
A Spanish name has two surnames and an accent. Most foreign forms have room for neither. What to do about it.
Read →Notable people named Velasquez
Forty-seven bearers of the name, chosen by public interest and grouped by field. Each profile records the facts, the sources, and how that person spelled the name.
Arts & entertainment
Diego Velázquez
Court painter to Philip IV and one of the greatest artists in Western art; author of Las Meninas.
Read profile →Patricia Velásquez
Venezuelan actress and model, Anck-su-namun in The Mummy, founder of the Wayuu Taya Foundation.
Read profile →Nadine Velazquez
American actress — Catalina in My Name Is Earl, Sofia in The League, Flight, Major Crimes and Queens.
Read profile →Regine Velasquez
"Asia's Songbird" — the best-selling Filipino recording artist of all time.
Read profile →Antonio Velázquez
Spanish actor — Paquirri, Tierra de lobos, Cable Girls, Hermanos.
Read profile →Jaci Velasquez
Contemporary Christian and Latin pop singer with 16 No. 1 singles and three platinum albums.
Read profile →Consuelo Velázquez
Concert pianist and composer of "Bésame mucho", one of the most recorded songs in the world.
Read profile →Pilar Velázquez
Madrid-born actress of some fifty films, a familiar face of Italian genre cinema and the spaghetti western.
Read profile →Nelson Velásquez
Vallenato singer-songwriter, voice of Los Inquietos del Vallenato.
Read profile →Lorena Velázquez
"Queen of Fantasy Cinema" — scream queen of Mexican horror and Santo films, later a telenovela regular.
Read profile →Tere Velázquez
Actress, singer, dancer and presenter in 86 films and shows, from Young People (Berlin 1961) to Corazón salvaje.
Read profile →Aníbal Velásquez
"El Mago" of the accordion and King of the Guaracha, with some 300 albums over six decades.
Read profile →Jerry Velázquez
Actor, singer and voice actor from Mérida — High School Musical: La Selección, Disney's Cuando toca la campana.
Read profile →Fernando Velázquez
Composer of the scores for The Orphanage, The Impossible and A Monster Calls; Goya winner 2017.
Read profile →José Antonio Velásquez
Self-taught "primitivist" painter of San Antonio de Oriente, Honduras's national treasure.
Read profile →Eugenio Lucas Velázquez
Romantic painter of costumbrista scenes in the wake of Goya, honorary court painter to Isabel II.
Read profile →Ricardo Velázquez Bosco
Architect of Madrid's Palacio de Cristal, the Palacio de Velázquez and the Ministry of Agriculture; excavator of Madinat al-Zahra.
Read profile →Tony Velasquez
Father of Tagalog comics and co-creator of Kenkoy (1929).
Read profile →Héctor Velázquez Moreno
Architect of the UNAM's Ciudad Universitaria team and of Plaza Jacaranda in the Zona Rosa.
Read profile →History & exploration
Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar
Conquistador and first governor of Cuba, who chartered the expeditions that reached the Aztec Empire.
Read profile →Juan Velázquez Tlacotzin
Cihuacoatl of Tenochtitlan and its first indigenous ruler after the conquest.
Read profile →Loreta Janeta Velázquez
Author of The Woman in Battle (1876), who claimed to have fought and spied in the Civil War disguised as a Confederate officer.
Read profile →Juan Velázquez de León
Conquistador with Cortés in Mexico, kinsman of the governor of Cuba, killed on La Noche Triste.
Read profile →José Velásquez Bórquez
Chilean artillery general of the War of the Pacific, deputy and Minister of War and Navy under Balmaceda.
Read profile →José Velásquez
Soldier-explorer of the Californias who scouted the mission sites of El Rosario, Santo Domingo and San Vicente.
Read profile →Politics & public life
Nydia Velázquez
First Puerto Rican woman elected to the U.S. Congress; New York representative since 1993.
Read profile →Ramón J. Velásquez
Historian, journalist and President of Venezuela (1993–1994).
Read profile →Iván Velásquez Gómez
Jurist who led Colombia's "parapolítica" investigations and Guatemala's CICIG; Right Livelihood laureate, later Minister of Defence.
Read profile →Fidel Velázquez
Co-founder of the CTM and Mexico's dominant union leader for more than half a century.
Read profile →Javier Velásquez Quesquén
President of Peru's Congress (2008–09) and Prime Minister under Alan García.
Read profile →Andrés Velásquez
Steelworkers' leader, governor of Bolívar and three-time presidential candidate for La Causa Radical.
Read profile →Willie Velásquez
Founder of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project — "Su voto es su voz" — Presidential Medal of Freedom 1995.
Read profile →Baldemar Velásquez
Co-founder and president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee; MacArthur Fellow and Order of the Aztec Eagle.
Read profile →Sports
Cain Velasquez
Two-time UFC heavyweight champion and NCAA All-American wrestler.
Read profile →Julio Velázquez
Football manager — the youngest ever in Spain's Segunda División, later Villarreal, Alavés, Udinese and Levski Sofia.
Read profile →John R. Velazquez
"Johnny V" — Hall of Fame jockey, three Kentucky Derbies and the sport's all-time leading money earner.
Read profile →Nelson Velázquez
Major League outfielder — Cubs, Royals, Cardinals and Astros; 2021 Arizona Fall League MVP.
Read profile →Vince Velasquez
Major League pitcher — Astros, Phillies, Padres, White Sox, Pirates, Cubs — and Lotte Giants in Korea.
Read profile →Andrew Velazquez
"Squid" — Bronx-born infielder for the Rays, Indians, Orioles, Yankees, Angels and Royals; minor-league on-base record holder.
Read profile →Wilmer Velásquez
"El Matador" — all-time top scorer of the Honduran league with 196 goals and 12 titles with Olimpia.
Read profile →Juliana Velasquez
Judoka turned mixed martial artist; former Bellator women's flyweight world champion.
Read profile →Jorge Velásquez
Hall of Fame jockey — Alydar's rider in the great 1978 Triple Crown rivalry, Kentucky Derby winner on Pleasant Colony.
Read profile →Arly Velásquez
Mono-skier who has represented Mexico at five Winter Paralympics, from Vancouver 2010 to 2026.
Read profile →Cornelio Velásquez
Panamanian jockey, two-time Breeders' Cup winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up on Closing Argument.
Read profile →Science
Public voices
Lizzie Velásquez
Motivational speaker, author and anti-bullying activist from Austin, Texas.
Read profile →Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez
Wrongfully convicted in 1998, exonerated in 2024; legal-reform activist and actor in the Oscar-nominated Sing Sing.
Read profile →Profiles are compiled from public sources for general information. They are not affiliated with or endorsed by the people described. Corrections are welcome at carol@velasquez.info.
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