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

Riva, 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 Riva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riva in America

Riva is the 20780th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riva surname appeared 1,271 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 Riva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riva 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 Riva

The surname RIVA has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is a toponymic name derived from the Italian word "riva," which means "shore" or "bank," often referring to a location near a river or body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RIVA can be found in a document from the 13th century, where it appears as "Riva" in reference to a family residing near the banks of the Po River in northern Italy. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, where many families adopted surnames based on their proximity to local rivers and lakes.

In the 14th century, the RIVA name appeared in the records of the Venetian Republic, where a notable merchant family, the Riva di Venezia, played a significant role in the city's maritime trade. Several members of this family are documented in historical archives, including Marco Riva (1320-1387), a successful trader and shipowner.

During the Renaissance period, the RIVA surname gained further prominence with the rise of notable artists and scholars. One such figure was Giovanni Battista Riva (1492-1556), a renowned painter from the city of Milan, whose works can still be found in several churches and galleries across Italy.

In the 17th century, the RIVA name was associated with a prominent family of architects and engineers from the town of Lugano, in present-day Switzerland. Notably, Francesco Riva (1629-1699) and his son, Gian Domenico Riva (1667-1736), were responsible for the design and construction of several important buildings and fortifications in the region.

Another notable figure bearing the RIVA surname was Vincenzo Riva (1777-1842), an Italian playwright and librettist who collaborated with renowned composers such as Gioachino Rossini and Gaetano Donizetti. His works were widely performed in the leading opera houses of Italy during the early 19th century.

Throughout its history, the surname RIVA has been closely tied to its geographical origins, reflecting the influence of Italy's diverse landscapes and waterways on the formation of family names. While the name has since spread worldwide, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich cultural heritage of the Italian peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riva

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

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

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

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