Find out how popular the last name Morales Rivera is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Morales Rivera.

Morales Rivera, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Morales Rivera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morales Rivera in America

Morales Rivera is the 101737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morales Rivera surname appeared 177 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Morales Rivera.

The history of the last name Morales Rivera

The surname MORALESRIVERA is a Spanish double-barrelled surname originating from the Iberian Peninsula in the late medieval period. The first element, Morales, is thought to be derived from the Latin word 'moralis', meaning 'moral' or 'ethical', suggesting it may have been an occupational surname for a judge or lawyer. Alternatively, it could have its roots in the Spanish town of Morales, located in the province of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

The second part, Rivera, is a topographic name referring to someone who lived near a river bank or shoreline, coming from the Spanish word 'ribera', meaning 'shore' or 'riverbank'. This element is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Spain, particularly in areas such as Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria, where it was common to identify individuals by their proximity to geographical features.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MORALESRIVERA surname can be found in the 16th century Spanish Inquisition records, where a certain Alonso Morales Rivera is mentioned as a merchant from Seville. In the 17th century, a prominent figure bearing this name was Diego Morales Rivera, a Spanish military officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession.

The 18th century saw the birth of José Morales Rivera y Gálvez (1737-1808), a Spanish colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Spanish Florida and later as the Viceroy of New Spain. Another notable individual was Mariano Morales Rivera (1792-1853), a Mexican military officer and statesman who fought in the Mexican War of Independence and later served as the Governor of Jalisco.

In the 19th century, Mariano Morales Rivera y Pavón (1825-1895) was a prominent Mexican lawyer, politician, and writer who served as the Governor of Puebla and played a significant role in the Reform War in Mexico. Additionally, Tomás Morales Rivera (1837-1891) was a Spanish painter and artist known for his realistic depictions of everyday life in Andalusia.

While the MORALESRIVERA surname is most commonly associated with Spain and Spanish-speaking countries, it has also been adopted by individuals of various ethnic backgrounds and nationalities throughout history, reflecting the global spread and influence of Spanish culture and language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morales Rivera

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Morales Rivera.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Morales Rivera was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Morales Rivera was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Morales Rivera, please contact us.

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