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

Rivas, 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 Rivas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rivas in America

Rivas is the 426th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rivas surname appeared 76,205 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 26 people would have the surname Rivas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rivas 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 Rivas

The surname Rivas has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "riba," which means "riverbank" or "shore," suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a river or coastal area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rivas can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrias, a medieval census document from the 14th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname Rivas, indicating that the name was already well-established at that time.

The name Rivas is also closely associated with the town of Rivas-Vaciamadrid, located near Madrid. This town likely took its name from the same root word as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and its geographical origins.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Rivas. One of the earliest was Pedro de Rivas (c. 1500 - c. 1570), a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. He later served as a royal treasurer and wrote a chronicle of the conquest.

Another prominent figure was Ángel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas (1791 - 1865), a Spanish romantic poet, dramatist, and politician. He is considered one of the most important figures of the Spanish Romantic movement and is best known for his play "Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino" (Don Alvaro or the Force of Fate).

In the 20th century, Tomás Rivera (1935 - 1984) was a notable American author and academic of Mexican descent. He is best known for his novel "...y no se lo tragó la tierra" (...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him), which explored the experiences of migrant farm workers in the United States.

Another famous bearer of the name was Gerardo Rivas (1924 - 2015), a Chilean painter and sculptor known for his abstract and cubist works. He was a prominent figure in the Chilean art scene and his works are displayed in museums around the world.

Finally, Naty Revuelta Rivas (1966 - ), also known as Naty Revuelta, is a contemporary Spanish singer and actress. She has released several successful albums and has appeared in numerous television shows and films throughout her career.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rivas

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

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

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

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