Veli

Veli is a male Finnish and Estonian given name, meaning brother. It is also an Ottoman Turkish name, mainly used by Ottoman affiliated populations as a male given name, meaning guardian. Its original etymology in Arabic meaning a "friend of God" when used in a religious-mystical context, and is the singular form of Evliya.

People

Given name

• Veli Acar (born 1981), Turkish footballer
• Veli-Matti Ahonen, Finnish ski jumper
• Veli Kavlak (born 1988), Austrian footballer
• Veli-Pekka Ketola (born 1948), Finnish ice hockey player
• Veli Kızılkaya (born 1985), Turkish footballer
• Veli Koota (born 1957), Finnish boxer
• Veli Lampi (born 1984), Finnish footballer
• Veli Lehtelä (1935–2020), Finnish rower
• Veli-Matti Lindström (born 1983), Finnish ski jumper
• Veli Merikoski (1905–1982), Finnish politician and professor
• Veli Nieminen (1886–1936), Finnish gymnast and sports shooter
• Veli Paloheimo (born 1967), Finnish tennis player
• Veli Saarinen (1902–1969), Finnish cross-country skier

Surname

• Apolonia Dorregaray Veli (1914-2002), Peruvian artist, maker of mate burilado

• Gursel Veli (born 1982), Turkish-Bulgarian footballer
• Hacı Bayram-ı Veli (1352–1430), Turkish poet, founder of the Bayrami Sufi sect
• Haji Bektash Veli, Sufi mystic
• Orhan Veli (1914–1950), Turkish poet
• Bayezid II (Sultân Bayezid-î Velî) was the oldest son and successor of Mehmed II

Mythologic people

• Veļi, dead-soul spirits in Latvian mythology

Places

• Veli (Gagra District), a village in Abkhazia, Georgia
• Veli, a short name for the Croatian village Veli Lošinj
• Veli, a former name of the Armenian town Tsaghkavan, Tavush

Other uses

• Veli (film), a 1985 Indian Tamil film
• Veli Railway Station, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

See also

• Wali (disambiguation)
• Auliya (disambiguation)