Zhelev is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Iliya Zhelev (born 1961), Bulgarian painter Mikhail Zhelev (1943–2021), Bulgarian athlete Ventsislav Zhelev (born 1980), Bulgarian footballer Zhelyo Zhelev (born 1987), Bulgarian footballer Zhelyu Zhelev (1935–2015), Bulgarian politician Zhivko Zhelev (born 1979), Bulgarian footballer