Surname Yelev (Елев 
, Yelev 
, Ельев 
) , in all the world, is a very rare cognomen. The last name Yelev is characteristic of Russia, where it is a very rare surname, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. In absolute terms, it is commonest in Russia, Kazakhstan, and India. Much less frequently, Yelev is the forename as well as the last name.