2000
#22,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,092
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Riera
A Spanish and Catalan surname derived from the term for a small stream or creek.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,160 Americans carry the last name Riera. That puts it at #15,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,683 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riera surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 158,683
Census rank
#15,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,884 bearers of the surname Riera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.3%. The next largest groups are White (14.5%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riera
Among Census respondents with the surname Riera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.3%. The next largest groups are White (14.5%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Riera bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Riera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.3% · 1,570
- White14.5% · 273
- Black or African American1.0% · 19
- Two or more races0.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riera
Riera appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#17,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,604
+512 bearers (+46.9%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 4,557 places
2020
#15,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,884
+280 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 2,492 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,098 | 1,092 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,541 | 1,604 | 0.54 | +512 bearers (+46.9%) | Up 4,557 places |
| 2020 | #15,049 | 1,884 | 0.63 | +280 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 2,492 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Riera surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,541 | #15,049 | 14.2% |
| Count | 1,604 | 1,884 | 17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.63 | 16.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riera bearers went from 1,604 to 1,884 (+17.5% change). The surname moved up 2,492 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,541 to #15,049.
FAQ
Riera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riera?
Name Census estimates that about 2,160 living Americans carry the surname Riera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,683 residents.
How common is Riera?
Riera ranks #15,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,884 people with the surname Riera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,160), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Riera.
Has Riera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riera went from 1,604 recorded bearers to 1,884. That is an increase of 280 (+17.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,541 to #15,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Riera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.3%. The next largest groups are White (14.5%) and Black (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Riera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (1,570 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.3%), White (14.5%), Black (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Riera (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Riera mean?
A Spanish and Catalan surname derived from the term for a small stream or creek. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Riera (0.63 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Riera?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Riera on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.