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

Riera, 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 Riera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riera in America

Riera is the 17541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riera surname appeared 1,604 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Riera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riera to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Riera

The surname RIERA originates from Catalonia, a region of Spain, and likely dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Catalan word "riera," which means a small stream or brook, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a stream or rivulet.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the RIERA surname can be found in the "Llibre del Repartiment de València" (Book of the Distribution of Valencia), a manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document was created after the Reconquista of Valencia from the Moors and recorded the distribution of lands and properties among the Christian conquerors.

The RIERA surname has also been associated with various place names in Catalonia, such as Riera de Vallfogona and Riera de Gaià, indicating that some individuals may have taken the name based on their place of origin or residence.

Notable individuals with the RIERA surname include:

1. Miquel Riera (1583-1642), a Catalan painter known for his religious works and considered one of the leading figures of the Baroque period in Catalonia.
2. Josep Riera i Bertran (1854-1924), a Catalan architect who designed several notable buildings in Barcelona, including the Palau de la Música Catalana.
3. Carme Riera (born 1948), a contemporary Catalan writer and academic, known for her novels and short stories exploring themes of gender, identity, and marginalization.
4. Gabriel Riera (1909-1997), a Spanish footballer who played as a forward and represented Spain at the 1934 FIFA World Cup.
5. Joaquim Riera i Bertran (1848-1924), a Catalan architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the modernization and expansion of Barcelona in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Throughout history, the RIERA surname has been associated with various professions, including artists, architects, writers, and athletes, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riera

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

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 Riera 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Riera has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Riera was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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