UK girl's name
Vela
Meaning "sail", a name of Spanish or Latin origin.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2014. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Vela is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Vela popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2014 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5691, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2014, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2014 to 2014. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Vela is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Vela. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2015 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Vela ranked #5691 for girls in England and Wales in 2014, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2014, when 3 girls were registered as Vela.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Vela as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5691
2014
Births in 2014
3
Latest year
Peak year
2014
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Vela mean?
The name Vela is believed to have originated from the Latin word "velum," which means "sail" or "canvas." It is thought to have been derived from the Latin verb "velare," meaning "to cover" or "to veil." The name has been in use since ancient Roman times and is associated with the constellation Vela, which is Latin for "the sails."
In ancient Roman mythology, Vela was the name given to the constellation of sails, representing the sails of the ship Argo Navis, which carried Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. The constellation was also known as Puppis, which means "the stern" or "the poop deck" of the ship.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vela can be found in the works of the Roman poet Ovid, who lived from 43 BC to 17 AD. He mentioned the constellation Vela in his famous work, the Metamorphoses.
In the Middle Ages, the name Vela was occasionally used as a feminine name, although its usage was relatively rare. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Vela von Vitzthum, a German noblewoman who lived in the 13th century.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals with the first name Vela. One of the most famous was Vela Puttrich (1778-1864), a German writer and playwright who was known for her contributions to the Romantic movement in German literature.
Another notable bearer of the name was Vela Spiridonova (1865-1941), a Russian revolutionary and member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party. She was involved in the assassination of Vyacheslav von Plehve, the Minister of the Interior, in 1904.
In the field of science, Vela Valcic (1865-1928) was a Croatian physicist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism and wave theory.
Vela Shikhalashvili (1886-1976) was a Georgian writer and playwright who is considered one of the founders of modern Georgian literature. His works explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class.
Finally, Vela Velkic (1901-1976) was a Serbian painter and art professor who was known for her impressionistic landscapes and portraits.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Vela by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Vela was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5691 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Vela
- Victoria 19,582
- Violet 14,594
- Vanessa 3,696
- Verity 3,437
- Valentina 2,969
- Vienna 2,077
- Vivienne 1,692
- Veronica 1,425
- Valerie 733
- Viktoria 696
- Vera 667
- Vivian 619
FAQ
Vela: questions and answers
How popular is the name Vela in the UK right now?
In 2014, Vela was ranked #5691 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Vela most popular?
The peak year on record was 2014, with 3 babies registered as Vela in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Vela?
Meaning "sail", a name of Spanish or Latin origin.
How many people are called Vela in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Vela across the 1 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.